Gotta Be Somebody
by MissPharao
Summary: Eric is a 1000 year old Viking vampire, but is he really? Or is it what he wants everyone to believe? And Sookie? She is smart, witty, strong-willed, doesn't take shit from anybody and is definitely something 'Other'. Watch what happens when these two worlds collide.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing! All characters in this story, the books and the show belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball/HBO - Thank God! If I were them, I would run for my life, because I just know Eric Northman will find a way to drain me dry for all the sh*t he had to go through!

**BETA:** The lovely Breathesgirl/tj6james6. She is awesome and makes a readable story out of my jumbled mess because English is not my mother language.

**AN:** I need to explain some things before we start:

The first few chapters will mostly be canon but not everything, I changed quite a lot! It will become more AU as the story makes progress.

Some characters and especially Sookie and Eric will ACT OOC! So don't shoot me! If you like a naïve, innocent and selfish Sookie, don't read this story. You will not be happy with it!

Sookie never told Bill about her telepathy. She's not smitten with him and there is a reason for it (I will explain that in a later chapter).

There will be some parts of True Blood as well though not necessarily the story but some characters.

This story will contain lemony goodness and some violence. If you are not 18 years old yet and/or you are easily offended by it, please click the back button NOW! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1:**

Fangtasia was not what I expected when I thought of a vampire bar. Well, I didn't really know what to expect, but certainly not that. There was definitely a color theme going on: The whole interior of the bar varied between shades of red, gray and black. The lighting was very dim and cast shadows in the corners. There were framed posters of every movie vampire you could think of from Tom Cruise to Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee on the walls. There were also 'No biting on premises' and 'No lingering in the parking lot' signs posted everywhere.

From what I could see there were probably about a dozen vampires present; their bodies were softly glowing, making it easier to see them among the human clientele.

But the most… interesting thing was the fangbangers and their choice of clothing. It ranged anywhere from velvet and lace capes to latex and leather dresses and corsets.

And everything was black.

Every. Single. Piece.

Some of them were even wearing plastic fangs and had painted blood on their necks to imitate being bitten or in the corner of their mouths so it would look like they had bitten someone.

How pathetic!

Well, maybe it's the new fangbanger-couture?

I stood in the middle of the room and couldn't stop myself from gaping at them for a moment. Did they really think vampires would notice them when they all dressed the same? Surely they didn't think that vampires dressed like this all the time? Then again if you only watched the movies or read the books that **is** how they dressed.

I looked down at myself. Maybe my choice of clothes wasn't the right one either. The sundress I chose was knee-length and sleeveless with a low neckline and the fabric was white and scattered with bright red flowers. Now I understood the look on Bill's face when he picked me up from home. I stood out and I definitely didn't want to stand out that night – or any other night.

Hell, everywhere I went in Bon Temps people looked at me. It didn't matter whether it was the grocery store or the gas station, people pointed fingers at me and whispered behind their hands, _"Hey, look at Crazy Sookie, what's she doing now?"_ I had always tried to ignore the comments and flip them the bird in my head but it still hurts. It hurt every damn time. At least here, in Shreveport, nobody knew me. But now I've done it again! It was a curse.

As if he'd read my thoughts, Bill whispered in my ear, "You look like vampire bait." I gulped. Thank you, Bill, for pointing out the obvious!

Bill's hand was on the small of my back as he guided me across the room to the bar and ordered the only choice he had, a True Blood, and a gin and tonic for me to try and calm my nerves.

The bartender gave me a fangy smile after he looked me over from head to toe. He was an American Indian, with long coal black hair and an athletic build.

"How's it going, Bill," he asked. "Is this your meal for the night?" He nodded toward me as he put our drinks on the bar before us. I was instantly put out. I was definitely not on the menu that night.

Before I could say anything, Bill interjected. "This is my friend, Sookie. Sookie, this is Long Shadow. She has some questions to ask."

I took this as my cue and took pictures out of my purse. "Have you seen these women in the bar," I asked while holding up the photos of Maudette and Dawn. "Or this man?" And the picture of my stupid brother.

"Yes to the women, no to the man."

I waited for him to elaborate but nothing more came through his thin lips. "Do you remember who the women hung around with," I poked deeper.

His face closed down, "That's something we don't notice, here. You won't either."

Oops.

"Thank you," I said politely. Obviously I broke a bar rule. Apparently it was a big no-no to ask who left with whom. "I appreciate your taking the time."

I turned around and walked to a just-vacated booth near the bar, Bill following silently behind me.

We mostly made small talk and sipped our drinks after we sat down.

My eyes scanned the room again - and the people in it - and I dropped my shields slightly to let their thoughts wash over me.

Big mistake! My mind was instantly bombarded with one thought, and one thought only: sex, sex and - you guessed it - sex. It was like there were dozens of different radio stations playing only one song. It was like their brains were one big pulse which hammered against my mind.

It was painful … and very disappointing. It's not like I expected much from the people there - I came to that conclusion the minute I assessed their appearance – but it was like sex with vampires was the most important thing in the world. I was disappointed for my brother though since I had gone there for some clues after all - but I wasn't ready to give up quite yet.

The minutes ticked by and I hadn't heard anything; not a single clue.

"This isn't working, I need to talk to someone else about Maudette and Dawn," I explained after another fruitless attempt at reading the fangbangers' minds. "Do you know someone else who might be able to give me more information?"

Bill hesitated for a second before saying, "Yes. The vampire over there is the owner." He tilted his head at a booth across the room. "He has scanned you a few times already."

The vampire in question was very handsome. Beautiful wasn't even the right word to describe him. He was magnificent! Everything about him oozed sex appeal. He had shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes, was broad shouldered and was very, very tall. There wasn't an artist in the world who wouldn't have given a fortune to paint his face; it was that perfect. His body could rival any statue of Adonis in the world. He was wearing dark washed-out jeans, boots and a black leather vest. That's it.

He was terrifying … and oh so very intriguing.

"His name is Eric."

His hypnotic, brilliant-blue eyes flashed in the light as they fixed on me and caused me to gulp quietly. _It's as if he knew we were talking about him_, I thought. _Hopefully he doesn't have x-ray vision_.

I couldn't look away as he held my gaze and for a moment, I swear, I could see the waves of a stormy ocean rolling through the depth of his eyes. It was like the sea was once his home a very long time ago. I could practically taste the salt on my tongue.

As the left corner of his beautiful mouth lifted slightly in a mischievous smile I was electrified! My body was charged with shocks that left me all warm and fuzzy.

"How old is he?" I croaked out and finished my drink in one long gulp; my gaze never wavering from Eric's. His tall frame radiated strength and confidence; and I could tell even from that distance, his body could barely control the power.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bill shifting in his seat slightly. "Very. He's the oldest thing in this bar." His jaw tightened like he didn't like what he was saying. "We could go and talk to him." His tone was tighter than normal.

With that simple sentence the connection was broken and I looked sharply up at Bill.

Without even waiting for my agreement he moved out of the booth slowly; as if he wanted to delay the meeting and get it over with at the same time.

A flicker of panic made its way through my body before I could squash it. The thought of meeting this creature made my body shiver with fear and anticipation at the same time.

Of course I wanted to meet him; who wouldn't want be in the presence of this beautiful man – vampire – talk to him and get to know him? On the other hand a sense of foreboding made its way up from the pit of my stomach: I knew my life would never be the same after that. Whether it was for better or worse, I didn't know yet.

_For Jason! You're doing this for your stupid rutting machine of a brother. He so owes me for this, _I thought. I kept my silent mantra up as I took several deep breaths to calm myself and then got up and followed behind my companion.

My knees were a little wobbly as we made our way over to Eric. He was sitting with a female vampire who was just as beautiful as him. She had blond hair as well and was petite. They were staring down at a young fangbanger who had crawled across the floor and kissed the female's spiky high heel. She made a disgusted sound and kicked him in the shoulder: You could tell that she would have preferred to kick him in another part of his anatomy but thought better of it.

The people observing this scene ate it up like it was the entertainment of the year.

All I could do was shake my head. I mean, come on! Crawling like an animal and kissing a vampire's shoe? In her place, I would be disgusted as well. Does this happen all the time?

Eric finally looked up and scowled at us as we approached. His face changed to curiosity though as he recognized us. Bill gripped my upper arm and stopped me a small distance away.

"Bill," Eric said, nodding. He had a slight accent which I couldn't identify but it sounded European. It was sexy as hell though and I couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up my spine.

Bill nodded right back and it looked so silly and stiff that I had to hold back a snort. Apparently vampires don't shake hands. As if sensing my amusement Bill's hold on my arm tightened and it became very uncomfortable.

"Who's your friend?" The female leered at me. She just needed to lick her lips to complete the look. Her British accent was very pronounced; I would have recognized it anywhere. Up close she was even more beautiful and reminded me of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Well, if Alice had worn a Goth outfit … then her fangy smile ruined the image completely. I shuddered. I don't think I could read the book and imagine an innocent girl in a blue dress and a hair band ever again.

"Hi, I'm Sookie Stackhouse," I said politely. I had to stop myself from sticking out my hand since my Southern manners wanted to kick in: I definitely did not want my hand to be eaten.

"Aren't you sweet," Eric observed as his gaze moved over my whole body appreciatively, leaving it tingling. His left eyebrow lifted as our eyes locked once more.

I lifted my own eyebrow right back and answered sassily, "Not especially." If this vampire wanted to be cocky and arrogant I would give him some of his own medicine. _Maybe I could get into trouble with him. Hmm, it doesn't sound that unpleasant._

Eric stared at me in surprise for a moment. Then his whole face lit up with delight as he and his female companion laughed. It was a fascinating sight.

I could hear a rumble in the crowds' heads. Apparently, they had never seen it before, either. Immediately, thoughts about sex with him in different positions flickered in their minds like fireflies. Each thought was more absurd than the last one. These people's imaginations knew no bounds. I could only shake my head.

"Sookie, this is Pam Ravenscroft and I am Eric Northman," he said.

"It's nice to meet you," I said but apparently Bill didn't think so since he was squeezing my arm more painfully than before.

"My friend would like to ask a couple of questions," he explained coolly.

The seated vampires exchanged bored glances. Their faces became stony and Pam rolled her eyes, "Like how long our fangs are or do we sleep in a coffin?" Her voice was heavy with contempt.

I exclaimed with surprise, "No! If I wanted to know that, don't you think I would have asked Bill already?" My arm had started to go numb and I'd had enough. I didn't need a babysitter and could hold my own in a conversation so I twisted my arm out of Bill's grip with a jerk.

"People really ask you things like that?" I asked in disbelief. My fingers were unconsciously massaging the now sensitive skin to help the blood flow. "These fangbangers are even more stupid than I thought," I mumbled before I could stop myself.

The vampires in front of me stared at me like I had grown a second head. Pam licked her lips suggestively - oh yeah, there it was - and Eric's eyes became more and more intense; reminding me once again of ocean waves: I could get lost in them.

"And you aren't?" Pam asked.

I had to shake myself out of my trance, "What?"

"A fangbanger."

My eyes narrowed, "No ma'am! I'm a lady. And I expect to be treated as such!" I explained proudly with my head held high. How could she? Could she not see that I looked and acted nothing like them?

Eric shifted in his seat and moved his right leg over his left knee and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at me with obvious amusement and curiosity while Pam stared at me in amazement.

What? Is it that unusual for people nowadays to have proper manners? I mean, yes we live in the 21st century and the times when a woman had to be prim and proper are definitely long gone, but decency and self-respect should still be attributes everyone should possess.

Before they could say anything else I once again got the pictures out of my purse and held them up, "I would like to know if you've seen either of these women in the bar."

Eric's eyebrow shot up again, "Are you a cop?" He stared me right in the eyes and my mind started to tighten uncomfortably with pressure. It was like a thousand spidery fingers were touching my brain. I shuddered and said a little more sharply than I intended, "No! I'm a waitress."

The pressure stopped and I could see, just for a split second that he was confused before his face went blank. I guess he had just tried to glamour me but that doesn't work: I can't be glamoured. I hadn't decided if them being unable to glamour me was a good or bad thing for me.

"Then why are you asking?"

I arched my eyebrow matching his and put my hands on my hips; it was a funny little game. "Don't you know that it's rude to answer a question with a question?

"Quid pro quo, buddy. Answer mine and I'll answer yours!"

Pam was looking incredulously from me to Eric and back again and was catching flies with her mouth - as my gran would say – as he tossed his head back and laughed heartily.

I smiled, satisfied that I had once again elicited a laugh out of him. And I somehow knew it was a rare thing.

"Oh, Sookie, you are one of a kind, aren't you?"

I snorted and grimaced, "You have no idea," Then I tapped my fingers against the photos to get us back on track. "Quid pro quo."

They took the pictures and looked at them for a moment before Eric looked back up. He was holding one of the pictures up: it was Dawn. "I have been with this one. She liked pain."

I grimaced. Yeah, that's what I got from her mind once as well. JB du Rone had said something similar about Dawn after I had found her body. Those were both images I could do without.

Pam followed his example. "I have seen both but not been with either of them. This one," she tapped her perfectly manicured fingernail on Maudette's picture, "was a pathetic creature. She wanted to die." She gave me an intense stare and said, "That's what we are after all: Death!" The snap of her fangs emphasized her words.

I shuddered but didn't say anything.

"Quid pro quo, Miss Stackhouse. Why are you asking about these women?"

I took a deep breath, "Because they were murdered, and had fang marks on their bodies. Bill said it wasn't a vampire and I believe him. They were strangled rather than drained and I don't think a vampire would waste the blood so I assume it's someone who has an issue with vampires, fangbangers or both. My brother, who's a… well, he's a…" I could feel myself blushing furiously at what my brother really was, "well, he's chased so many skirts that he's had to go to the next Parish just to get ahead of his reputation.

"He's been with both recently so he's naturally the most popular and only suspect for our law enforcement. But it wasn't him!"

Eric cocked an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"

I eyebrowed right back. "I just know. He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, it's a miracle he can tie his own shoelaces, but believe me, he's not smart enough to kill." _The only things he could kill are the deer with his shotgun and his own brain cells by actually thinking._ I didn't say that out loud though.

I know, I shouldn't speak badly about my brother but I was still angry about him even being in that situation and most importantly, had our gran so worried. "So thank you very much. That was more of your time than I actually wanted to take. Have a nice night," I said and tried to turn and leave. Unfortunately Bill's grip on my arm was back. I scowled at his hand and then at him.

"Bill, are you quite attached to your… friend?" Eric asked.

It took a second for the meaning to sink in. Did … had he just asked… My eyebrow rose into my hairline at his audacity.

"She is mine," Bill quickly responded. My head whipped around. Now it was I who gaped at him incredulously and was catching flies. I couldn't say anything; I was too dumbfounded. I mean, what the freakin' hell? I know he had claimed I was his once before but that was just to protect me from his creepy friends, wasn't it?

Pam and Eric were civilized and kind of fun to talk with. Yeah, I know, a vampire is a vampire. To some people the word vampire is synonymous with murderer and manipulator but to me they are just people. Sure, they have quirks and they murder and manipulate others, but guess what? So do humans. I did wonder though whether the devil I knew would be better for me than the devil(s) I didn't know.

Alas, I didn't say anything because I didn't know what was going on. One more thing to curse Bill for: his unwillingness to give me any information.

Eric studied me intently for a long moment before inclining his beautiful golden head and Bill seemed to relax a bit. He bowed to them and stepped back before turning around and walking away with a firm grip on my arm.

He half dragged me back to our booth before I could brace my feet against the floor. I repeated my gesture from earlier and jerked my arm free from his grasp once more. I just knew there would be a bruise there the next morning.

Can you tell I was angry? Oh yes, I was. Fuming! "What the hell, Bill!" I exclaimed in a furious whisper. "What was that about? I'm not your property!"

"Eric is older than me by centuries. I was just protecting you," Bill said, looking very much like the vampire that he really was, what with his fangs peeking through his lips and all.

"I don't need your protection from those two. They were actually very polite most of the time," Well as polite as vampires could be I guess, right? "Unlike your so called friends," I hissed. I know that little jab was a low blow but I was so angry that I wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt me earlier.

He snorted, "You are so naïve sometimes."

I looked at him in exasperation. "Oh and why is that Bill," I asked, not really expecting an answer. "Because you never answer any of my questions, that's why." He's always telling me that I don't need to know or it's for my own protection. Pah, he can take his protection and shove it where the sun don't shine! "So excuse me for being so ignorant."

Bill gave me a patronizing look and his tone didn't sound any better, "Sookie, you're getting confused again. 'Ignorance' and 'Naiveté' are two completely different things. Being ignorant means you're lacking knowledge by being unsophisticated and uneducated. Naiveté, however, is easily solved with life experience so don't sell yourself so short."

Whaaat? What right did he have to lecture me like a child? I couldn't believe his audacity! I had to restrain myself from slapping him across the face right there in front of everyone. It would have served him right.

Who the hell cares what the difference is anyway? We're not here for a proper English lesson, for Christ's sake!

I was shooting daggers at him. If looks could kill, he would have been dead – well, finally dead – in a big puddle of goo on the floor right now.

And it was so typical of him to ignore my angry rant from before. I could have screamed.

Bill shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as if sensing that I was close to losing it: He seemed to be doing that a lot. "Sookie, please don't make a scene. This is absurd. Let's not argue about this, especially not here," he said in a whiny tone.

Oh, of course not! He's allowed to berate me but when I try to speak or get clarification it's always 'not now Sookie' or 'I don't have the time Sookie' or 'that is very unladylike of you Sookie' so I decided to fume in silence.

Apparently Bill didn't like the silent treatment since I heard a sigh from the vampire sitting next to me which was very uncharacteristic. He seemed to want to make up for his behavior though by explaining, "They are my superiors. Eric is very powerful because of his age, and only needs to take a sip of blood to maintain his strength. He almost never kills anymore. So I guess for a vampire, he is a good guy. From what I heard sex with him is unforgettable, too." Yeah, I came to that conclusion all by my lonesome. Figuring that out myself wasn't difficult, not with all those thoughts bombarding my mind but I would never tell him that. Thank god I actually never let it slip that I was a telepath.

"With Eric being older, and my superior, it means that if you had been interested I would have been obliged to let you go with him," he explained quietly.

_Maybe I should have done that,_ I thought.

I decided to break my silence, "Did it occur to you for even one second, that I can think and speak for myself," I asked icily. "I am not a puppet! This is not the 19th century anymore. Women have the right to vote, can dress as they wish and they have the right to voice their opinions. Times have changed since you were human, Bill. Welcome to the 21st century!"

My goodness, he was so old fashioned sometimes. Just remembering our conversation about my too short dresses and the petticoats he so loves had me still laughing silently. I've never had an objection to a little old-school behavior – I was used to it from my gran - but this was downright controlling. It was becoming more and more clear to me that we were not really compatible.

We barely had anything in common. And the way he acted towards me, and around me, sometimes struck me as odd. Most times when we were together he talked down to me like I was a child: like I wasn't worthy of his attentions; we had that perfect example just a few minutes ago. If that were the case then why was he always seeking me out and lurking in the shadows nearby?

What's with his little speech just now anyway? First he was acting like he couldn't stand Eric and was even claiming me in front of him for everyone to hear, not caring that anyone was listening; and I'm sure that people were listening. Then, just a few seconds ago, it sounded like he was pushing me towards Eric or at least was trying to sweeten me up to him. To say I was confused was an understatement.

The time ticked slowly by as we sat silently next to each other. That is, until a fangbanger decided to approach our booth. She was sickly thin and so pale that she could have almost passed as a vampire herself. She whispered something in Bill's ear. I couldn't hear what it was but Bill quickly shut her down with a stony remark.

Unfortunately she wasn't the only one. In a matter of minutes three more of them, two men and a woman, tried to persuade Bill to leave with them. They were so desperate it was disgusting.

And I was so sick of it.

I had to take deep breaths to calm my temper. I knew it was not his fault – well, at least not this time - but I had to get away from him for a minute before I said something I would regret.

I glanced over at the bar and saw that Long Shadow had gathered quite a crowd over there. From my angle I couldn't see what he was doing but it must have been very entertaining.

"Bill, could you get me another gin and tonic, please?" I asked through gritted teeth. That would occupy him for a little while.

"Of course," he said, and walked stiffly towards the bar.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips. Finally! The air had been so thick with tension that I could hardly breathe. I definitely needed to think of what to do about Bill. I didn't think I liked him enough to be in a relationship with him. I hated to disappoint my gran but she would have to understand that I couldn't be with someone who always spoke over my head and made decisions regarding my life without me.

Suddenly there was a 'whoosh' in the air and the seat Bill had occupied a minute ago was once again filled with a vampire. Eric, to be precise. His arms were resting on the back of the booth and his right ankle was on his left knee. He had a lazy smile on his face that gave rise to the suspicion that he felt very comfortable at the moment. I felt tense but for a completely different reason than before.

"You don't mind, do you?" He asked.

I made a very unladylike sound, "Would you even care?"

He smirked mischievously. "No."

"Figures," I mumbled. We stared at each other for moment but I couldn't hold back any longer and I burst out laughing. Oh my, I have never met someone like him who has such a wicked sense of humor. His words from earlier came to mind, "You are one of a kind, aren't you," I asked.

Eric grinned at me, "You have no idea," he responded suggestively.

His voice sent shivers up and down my spine. And it only got worse as his gaze roamed over my body.

His tone was husky as he told me, "You look like a white candle in a coal mine."

My mouth went dry and I flushed pink, "Thank you, I think."

He inclined his head, "So, are you truly Bill's or was that just his wishful thinking?"

I snorted; it was getting to be a really bad habit. "Oh, quite the latter. I'm no-one's possession, especially not Bill's. I'm my own woman. So no, I'm not his!"

With a self-satisfied smirk he leaned back again. "Good, very good."

I arched an eyebrow, "For you or for me?"

"I hope for both of us."

"You are very arrogant to think that I'll want to have anything to do with you."

"Oh, I'm quite sure, aren't I?" His gaze got intense as his nostrils flared. He was smelling me and I knew that he found what he was looking for when his eyes changed to a smoldering blue.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and pressed my thighs together to hopefully stop him from smelling my arousal but it was a fruitless attempt. Can you blame me? This magnificent creature was sitting within touching distance, in this relaxing - and absolutely sexy as hell - pose and his masculine scent permeated my senses. Yeah, it definitely couldn't be helped.

His smirk just deepened but he didn't say anything about it. Thank god. Instead he changed the subject, "How did you meet Compton?"

I stole a glance at the bar but I couldn't see Bill in the crowd, "He's my neighbor. He came into Merlotte's, the bar where I work, a few weeks ago and introduced himself."

"And you've had his blood." It was not a question.

I gave him a questioning look. How did he know that?

He tipped a finger against his nose, "I can smell it."

My face became hot. Wow, if he can smell that… what else can he smell? Oh yeah, we answered that one already.

I cleared my throat before answering, "He uh … The night I met him he was almost killed by two drainer's, the Rattray's. They were locals. When I found them in the parking lot they had already bound him with silver chains and had begun to drain him. Somehow I managed to run them off but the next night I had to wait for Bill for a little while after work since I had asked him to meet me then: they came back and beat me half to death. Bill rescued me at the last second and gave me his blood to heal me: I would have died otherwise."

Eric looked like he was deep in thought for a moment, "Did he have your blood that night as well?"

My eyes narrowed at that question. Why did he want to know? Something was going on. I thought back to that fateful night and replayed the scene over in my head before I answered, "Yes, I think so. I think he licked my head wound. Why?"

His face got very serious, "Did he tell you what it means to have a vampire's blood?"

"Yes. He told me that it would heal me, obviously, and that it would increase my … you know, libido. He mentioned something about sexual dreams too but I'm still waiting for any of that, thank god." My cheeks grew hot at that admission.

Eric cocked his head to one side and his eyebrow rose into his hairline.

I had the nagging suspicion that something was definitely going on here. "Again, why?"

He seemed to be pondering something since he didn't answer me right away. When he did his voice was barely above a whisper, "It seems we have much to discuss. I would like you to come back tomorrow night. Alone. It is better to explain such delicate subjects in private."

Oookay! What. The. Hell? What was going on here? All these questions about blood had me thinking that there was something important Bill hadn't told me. As always! And doesn't this confirm my suspicion about Bill's behavior? The feeling of foreboding got stronger the more I thought about it.

Before I could ask any of my questions out loud a figure suddenly loomed over us. _Sigh_.

"Eric," Bill acknowledged coolly.

"Bill," Eric replied in the same dry tone and stood up.

Now I could see how much Eric towered over the other vampire. He was a giant of a man.

Bill had a sneer on his lips and a scowl on his face as he said, "I told you, she is mine!" I couldn't figure out if he was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to voice that in such a venomous tone: I had the feeling Eric could snap him in half with just his pinky finger and without ever breaking a sweat. Well, if he could sweat anyway.

"Bill," His tone was quiet and cold as ice. You couldn't mistake it for anything but a threat, "I was just keeping her company. You don't want the other vampires to get any ideas, do you?"

Bill gulped and clenched his jaw, "Of course not. Thank you!"

Eric smiled like a snake eying its prey, "You're welcome." He turned to me. "Ms. Stackhouse, it was a pleasure. I hope I will see you again," he said and arched his eyebrow in a silent question. I knew he was asking if I would come back tomorrow like he asked.

I confirmed with a very small nod. The curiosity and worry was too great for me not to. And honestly, I wanted to see him again. "The pleasure was mine, Mr. Northman," I replied, smiling. He turned around and strutted back to his booth.

For the first time I had the pleasure of admiring his very delightful backside. My oh my, what a delicious behind he had. A shiver ran down my spine at that thought. I had the suspicion that that was exactly the reaction he wanted to achieve.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright guys, here's the next chapter. Thank you so much for your reviews and everyone else who took the time to read my story. It keeps my muse going ;)

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2:**

The sun was already low on the horizon when I made my way back inside the house from the backyard. After having the lunch shift that day I'd been in desperate need of some serious tanning and a little quiet time. After the last couple of days I'd definitely earned it. My mind wouldn't shut up so my thoughts were swirling round and round inside my head.

Work had been especially excruciating. The time had seemed to stand still and I felt twitchy and anxious the more I looked at the clock on the wall. When I had **finally** made it home I couldn't get into my bikini and out the back door fast enough.

While I had been lying on my blanket and absorbing the last rays of sunshine I had recalled how the night before had ended:

_After Eric left our booth I downed my drink in one big gulp and then asked Bill to take me home. Before we could make it out of the bar though I heard a very disturbing thought from one of the patrons. He was an undercover cop and had already called in back up after finding a vampire feeding on the human Pam had so elegantly kicked with her stiletto. The man had a disgusting anticipation about the hefty fine the owner of the bar would have to pay for __**that**__ infraction._

_Panic rose up inside of me, "I have to warn Eric," I said, my voice shaky with anxiety. _

_"__Why?" Bill's tone was sharp and his gaze fixed on me intently._

_I didn't answer him. Instead I made my way through the crowd in search of Eric. As if sensing my approach he looked up from examining the phone in his hand, Pam was nowhere in sight. I jerked my head in the direction of the door and moved my lips in silence, exaggerating their movement as I said "cops". He either understood what I said or the distress on my face induced him to take me seriously. Either way he eased smoothly out of his seat and made his way to the door, Bill and I were not far behind him. Before he slipped through the door he gave a sign to Long Shadow and then propelled the bouncer outside with us. _

_As we rounded the corner of the building the other vampire was nowhere in sight and Eric was leaning against the hood of a beautiful red corvette, waiting for us. He seemed relaxed: his long legs stretched out with the left one crossed over the right. _

_Only the fire in his eyes betrayed him and I knew he was ready to pounce in a split second. Anybody stupid enough to cross him in this mood would be very, very sorry. And I understood I had to tread carefully with this situation._

_"__What's going on," he asked with a chilly, yet curious tone._

_"__There's probably going to be a raid," I answered and searched my mind for a good explanation. I hated lying but I had no choice or I would have to give up my secret. And I did not want that: not there and then at any rate._

_Eric arched an eyebrow, "How do you know?"_

_I hesitated for a second before I went for a half truth. "There was a cop in there. I recognized him from when I had to pick up my brother at the Shreveport PD." I really had picked my brother up at the station once. Dear Jason thought it would be a brilliant idea to push his brand new truck to its speeding limits. But he was stupid enough to get caught._

_"__He could just be a patron like everybody else tonight. What compelled you to think there's going to be a raid?"_

Think! Think!_ "Do you really think he would go to a vampire bar on his night off, dressed like a tourist in an ugly Hawaiian shirt and shorts, shifting nervously in his seat while watching a vampire follow the fangbanger Pam kicked earlier into the restrooms?" I cocked my eyebrow and dared him with a look to say something to the contrary. _

_Apparently he dared. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to contradict me. Before he could open his mouth though, I shut him up with a desperate look and an eye roll in the direction of a surprisingly mute Bill who was standing slightly behind me and to my left. I hoped he couldn't see my face because I didn't want him to know that something wasn't right._

_Besides, the sirens in the distance spared me any further explanations. They were the signal to go anyway. Eric got in his car and was off into the night faster than I could say "ready, set, go!"_

_Bill and I did the same and we were leaving the parking lot by one exit just as the police were coming in by the other._

As I thought about that in the light of day I couldn't believe that I got away with that little lie so easily. With Bill I could pull it off – maybe – but with Eric I didn't think he would be that easily swayed. Did I want to sway Eric though? The thought about lying to him made my stomach knot uncomfortably. No, strangely enough I wanted to tell him the truth and even more strangely I knew with an uncommon degree of certainty that I could trust him. I **wanted** to trust him! Huh, how could that be? I hadn't even known him for 24 hours yet.

That made me think about my plans for the coming evening. I had decided to leave an hour before sunset. That way I could check out the Shreveport library for new books regarding my studies and most importantly, Bill wouldn't know where I went and couldn't follow me there that easily. I was killing two birds with one stone.

My god, I felt like a spy with all that sneaking around to avoid my neighbor.

My gran was already making dinner as I entered the kitchen and it smelled wonderful. Her cooking was always the best. "Hey Gran," I said and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello sweetheart. Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Dinner is almost ready."

"Okay. I'll just freshen up and be right back."

It took some doing because I had to hide the bruise Bill had left on my arm and I didn't know what to wear but within 15 minutes I was back in the kitchen with my hair brushed, make-up on and wearing a bright yellow knee-length, eyelet sundress. It had a prettily scalloped surplice V-neck – at the front and back – and hemline; and a ruched waist. The dress was one of my favorites and I thought 'what the heck'. I had no appropriate clothes for a vampire bar and I didn't want to look like a fangbanger anyway. What had Eric said? 'I looked like a white candle in a coalmine'. So, why not wear something similar. Why not give him a splash of color in his dull, monotonous environment.

"You look pretty," Gran said as I reentered the kitchen. "What's the occasion?" She eyed me curiously with a hint of disapproval, probably because I was showing too much skin for her liking. I ignored the look. I was a woman of the twenty-first century, not a housewife from the 1950s. Heck, I'm not even a housewife now and I definitely do not have June Cleaver Syndrome!

"I'm going out: I met someone last night at the bar and he wants to see me again."

"But I thought you are with Bill? How can you meet with someone else?"

_Sigh_. This was what I had been afraid of. My gran somehow got it into her head that Bill was the right one for me. She thought he had all the right attributes for a man: he was a gentleman, he had manners, was old-fashioned and courteous. And that was all she was seeing, or all he was letting her see any way. But not me: I was aware of his flaws and they made me cringe on the inside just thinking about them. I did not want to live like a doll stuck on a shelf for display then be brought back down for show, all dusty and wrinkled. No, thank you!

"I'm sorry to tell you this Gran but Bill and I are not in a relationship and we never will be. I know you like him and I'm really sorry to disappoint you but I saw a side of him yesterday that I'm just not comfortable with."

As I feared, disappointment rolled over her face but to my surprise it was gone just as quickly and she seemed to shrug it off, "Your judge of character has never failed you before so I will trust you on this. I would like you to consider giving him a second chance though." I snorted silently. No way in hell was he getting another chance. "Can you tell me what happened last night then? Did you find something out?"

Another sigh. "No. At least not about the murders or Jason. That was pretty much a dead end. Where is he anyway?"

Gran sighed, "You know your brother. When I called him earlier he said that he will be staying with a friend so he will have an alibi for the next murder."

I closed my eyes and slowly counted to ten. Sometimes I couldn't believe that we were even related to each other. "And could this so called friend get killed for a specific reason?"

Gran's face fell and she whispered, "I don't know, Sookie. I sure hope not."

In that moment I could have slapped myself, and my brother, for adding to Gran's sorrow. _Damn you Jason!_

We continued to eat in silence for a minute or two before Gran seemed to shake herself out of her solemn mood by taking up the previous conversation, "You said you met someone last night?"

I was thankful for the change in subject, "Yes, I did. His name is Eric and he's also a vampire. He's actually the owner of the bar. We had a pretty interesting conversation to say the least."

She studied me curiously, "And what is he like? You must really like him if you want to see him again."

I blushed. "Yes, I like him. He's… the complete opposite of Bill. He's very tall, has long blond hair and a wicked sense of humor.

"What's more he's beautiful, and he knows it!"

Gran looked skeptical, "Just be careful, Sookie. He sounds like a player. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know, Gran. And I know he's a player but something tells me he is also **different**. I don't how to describe it. It's a feeling." And this feeling had hardly ever steered me wrong. It had guided me safely through my life, at least up until then.

"So what is this vampire bar like? Were there many vampires? Did they bite anyone?" There was a twinkle in her eyes as she fired her questions at me. When her curiosity was piqued she looked like a young woman again; always ready to learn something new.

A pang of melancholy settled in the pit of my stomach. Small things like that always made me realize that time had flown by. And that my gran was getting into her old age. You could see she was getting slower and needed more and more rest in between the tasks that she had done with a spring in her step just five years ago.

Shaking myself out of my funk I laughed at her childlike behavior. "Honestly Gran, it was not what I'd expected. It was **worse**!" I told her what the bar had looked like to me: the décor and the people in it. "The people they call fangbangers, they're desperate to be bitten. They threw themselves at the vampires like they were worshipping ancient gods. It was quite pathetic."

"You shouldn't judge these people, Sookie. You, of all people, should know that. If they want to behave like that it's not your problem. You shouldn't look down on them," she chastised me with a stern voice and a fierce look on her face.

I hung my head; to still be admonished, at the age of 25, by an old woman was quite embarrassing. "I know, Gran but it's hard not to. You didn't see how they behaved and hear what they thought. I don't need to tell you what I have to go through every day in order to not judge people by what I hear and still act friendly.

"Honestly, they're getting on my last nerve. All the bigots and small-minded people in this town don't deserve my respect. And I still have to act like I don't know anything about it. Do you know how hard that is?" I tried desperately to get her to understand my point of view and what I saw in her eyes soothed me a little bit. I didn't want pity for my disability, quite the contrary, but Gran still saw the world – even after all these years – through rose-colored glasses. She always wanted to see the good in people even if they didn't deserve it but I knew it was far from reality. And it was hard to break her out of it.

"I know, Sookie, I know." She had a faraway look on her face but before she got into it too deep she turned back to me and smiled. "Come on, darling. Eat up; you need your strength if you want to compete with vampires."

The mood broken I laughed at her antics and did as I was told.

* * *

><p>I heaved a big sigh of relief as I parked my old car in the parking lot at Fangtasia. The hour long drive had seemed to go on forever, especially since I felt like I was being watched. Invisible eyes were glued to the back of my skull but when I looked into the rear view mirror no-one was following me.<p>

Even when I cast out my mental feelers I got nothing. It had even continued while I browsed the shelves in the library. It was probably just my paranoia creeping up on me though. Could you blame me? After all the talk about blood the night before and the secret and creepy behavior of Bill I was feeling on edge. But I had gone to Fangtasia for answers that night and, come hell or high water, I was going to get them! I would not be leaving without them!

I tried to clear my head as I made my way to the entrance. Judging by the large queue of people the evening was already in full swing. For a moment I didn't know what to do: line up or walk right past them? But then I told myself that Eric had asked me to return, therefor we had an appointment, right? Right!

Fortunately the bouncer from the night before remembered me and after I told her my name she let me walk right in without comment. Obviously I was expected.

I had a sense of déjà-vu as I entered the bar. The scene was exactly the same as before: Dim lighting, shadows and vampires mingling with black clad fangbangers. If this was Eric's daily life he must have been bored to death. Even I was bored after just a few minutes. I couldn't imagine how he could endure that every day, every week - for years.

I spotted him in the same booth only he was alone this time. It must be reserved for him because it was slightly separated from the others and you could look out over the whole room. Eric looked as bored as I imagined he would. He sat slightly sideways and had his right elbow on the backrest and his head rested on his fisted hand. He looked as if he would fall asleep any second. Oh yeah, I could sympathize with him.

The sight of him also started a fluttering in my stomach. I dismissed it as my being nervous about being alone with him.

Just then his nostrils flared and his head snapped up while his posture straightened like a lazy lion suddenly sensing its prey. His gaze found me as I made my way over to him. Taking in the way I was dressed his eyes went wide and his fangs snapped down. Damn, he was a beautiful creature. And he obviously appreciated my outfit. Well, mission accomplished! I couldn't hold back the smile at his reaction.

Eric was out of his seat and standing in front of me in a split second. My heart leapt into my chest at his sudden movement. He seemed to enjoy my reaction as I could see his pupils dilating and his features changing to a blissful expression. He circled me once, then twice, taking everything in. Yes, definitely a lion eying its prey. What kind of prey though, I couldn't decide yet: Dinner or potential fuck buddy? Probably both!

_Hmm, here kitty, kitty!_

He stopped in front of me again, "Ms. Stackhouse, it's a **pleasure** to see you again," he purred. It sent shockwaves immediately to my pleasure center.

_Oh yes, definitely a big kitty. Can I pet you and scratch your belly?_

He placed a large hand on the small of my back, "Come, sit with me." He guided me back to his booth and took a seat next to me after he let me get in first. A moment later a waitress came up to us and I ordered my usual gin and tonic.

I let my gaze wander over the room. You could see everything going on from that vantage point. But even from there the bar didn't look any more exciting.

Eric must have guessed my thoughts because he eyed me curiously while he asked, "What do you think of my establishment?"

How do you answer that question without offending him? I cleared my throat nervously, "I think it's… interesting." I could not prevent the crinkling of my nose.

Eric let out an amused sound and smirked at me. "Come now, you don't need to go easy on me. I'm not some delicate flower who is unable to bear criticism. Lay it on me!"

I blinked in surprise. Was my expression that obvious? I pursed my lips. Okay, he asked for it, "Alright. I think this monstrosity of a vampire bar – as you call it – is the stereotypical expectation of inferior human minds. When they think vampires they see dark, brooding and undead things, which sleep in coffins or crypts and hang around cemeteries for entertainment. This bar represents exactly that: dark colors, dim light, gothic-couture and brooding vampires on the prowl for their next victims." I snorted. "And I think that's exactly what you intended to accomplish. I mean, look at them, they are all very willing, desperate even, to be bitten. They present themselves on a silver platter and are even happy about it. I find it disgusting. And come on, what is it with all this black? Is it the new fangbanger-couture? It must be depressing to not even see the slightest splash of color in the room. And from your expression earlier, when I came in, you must be bored to death by it. I can't even imagine seeing this every day. So to sum it up: I find this establishment of yours boring, disgusting, depressing and disappointing."

"Ouch, that was harsh," he said in mock hurt.

My eyebrow rose up, "You asked for it!"

He chuckled, "I guess I did but you were right with everything you said. I opened this bar knowing exactly what the people would expect a vampire bar to look like. I saw the gap in the market and took the opportunity. And that's all it is, an investment, a moneymaker. The humans asked for it so why not give it to them?"

I never thought about it that way. Yes, the business was obviously booming and if I estimated him right he was very good at making money. Why not satisfy the people's curiosity and give them what they want?

I nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, you're right. There are always two sides to a coin."

"Exactly! Besides, this way I have better control over my vampires and who they take for a meal. In here they can meet willing humans and don't need to go out in the dark streets, preying upon unsuspecting und unwilling victims."

I never would have thought that Eric would be that talkative. Don't get me wrong, I was quite pleased that he was willing to share that kind of information with me and let me see a glimpse of his vampire's mind but from what I saw last time he didn't like having to explain himself. Or it could have been that we had been in the presence of other vampires, especially Bill.

The waitress came back with my drink and after thanking her I took a sip and thought about his last comment. The way he said 'my vampires' struck me as odd. There must be a deeper meaning behind it; like he was their superior or something.

Meanwhile Eric studied me very thoroughly, with a predatory look on his face, "I have to say, Sookie, you look beautiful in that dress, even more so than yesterday. It's not every day we see such a sweet and innocent girl walk into a vampire bar and definitely not dressed like this. It's like a fresh summer breeze in the first rays of sunshine," he said in a quiet voice.

I was stunned speechless for a moment and had to take deep breaths to stop my eyes from getting moist. My heart was racing. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought he was capable of such compliments. "I think that was the best compliment anybody has ever given me," I whispered.

Eric couldn't hide his surprise or pleasure, "Then it was my pleasure. It should be a crime to not have people appreciate your beauty. Are the men in your town blind?"

Blind? Pah, no they were definitely not blind. They're just too afraid of 'Crazy Sookie' and the gossip that would follow if they ever made a move on me. They may have thought I have a great rack and would have been good enough for a one-night stand but I was the black sheep in town. It would be disastrous for their reputation. Hah, yeah right! If they only knew. Not that I would start something with any of them anyway.

I scoffed, "I'm from a backwater town in the middle of nowhere with a lot of rednecks. What do you think?"

"I think they are all fools. Is that why you're still a virgin?"

I blanched. How the hell did he know that? Was that another vampire-smelly-thing or was I acting and talking like a virgin? I didn't know which of the two was worse. It didn't really matter, either way it was embarrassing as hell. My face must have been as red as a tomato right then. "I don't think that's any of your business buster," I exclaimed through clenched teeth.

Eric just grinned like the Cheshire Cat. I wanted to slap him. "My, my, Ms. Stackhouse, red is a good color on you. Maybe I should make you blush more often. It's very enticing."

I decided not to take the bait because I knew he just wanted to get a rise out of me. Bastard! "Well, Mr. Impossible, at least I **have** color on me," I said with a flutter of my eyelashes and my own silly grin.

Oh, that got a reaction out of him. It was almost comical what little things could bring a man to his knees. Eric's reaction was minimal but he looked at me with a fire in his eyes that dampened my panties in only seconds. It was embarrassing and exhilarating at the same time.

He gave me a knowing smirk and I took a drink to distract myself. A change of subject was definitely in order. I figured then was as good a time as any to ask the one question I had desperately wanted an answer to since the moment I met him.

I took a quick look around for prying eyes and ears and leaned toward him. For some reason I didn't want anyone to hear, "Can I ask you something… personal," I murmured.

He mimicked my posture and murmured right back, "You can, but whether I answer or not is another matter."

I remembered the odd image in his eyes and looked at him, searching for it. "The sea was your home, wasn't it? When you were human?"

Eric went rigid.

Uh oh! What did I say?

I couldn't read his expression. His face was completely neutral and he was sitting in the booth like a marble statue. Nothing moved. It looked quite eerie. You couldn't mistake him for anything other than one of these Adonis statues – only with Eric's head on it.

When he finally did move it was so minimal you could have mistaken it for a breeze or a flutter of a butterfly's wing. He looked at me intently, "Why do you say that? What did Compton tell you about me," He asked tensely.

Did I make a mistake by asking him? I didn't see the harm in my question but then again, it could be some weird vampire no-no that Billy Boy 'forgot' to tell me. Well, too bad, not my fault. I will forward the complaint in the morning!

And what was it about answering a question with a question again? Didn't we have this discussion already? Apparently old habits die hard but I let it slide. It was not the time to start that again. "He just told me that you are the oldest vampire in the bar." I hesitated.

Eric stared at me closely and made a motion with his hand for me to continue.

I sighed. I know I probably sounded like a complete lunatic in confessing this, "I don't know how to describe it. It's like I can feel it. The first moment I saw you I could tell you are old. I could see it in your eyes. They reminded me of ocean waves. And it was like I could taste the salty air on my tongue." I looked at him curiously and a little anxiously. "Am I right?"

He blinked once, then again – almost owlishly. He needed a moment to answer me: It was like he had to contemplate whether or not to answer me at all. "Yes, you are correct. I'm what you humans these days call a Viking. I spent most of my mortal life at sea."

My eyes went wide in astonishment. "Then you must be about 1000 years old!" All of a sudden I was very excited about all the possibilities.

"So they say," he murmured, smirking.

I didn't know what to make of that comment so I ignored it. I was too excited to meet someone so old anyway. What he must have seen. All the history stored away in his memories. Oh, I couldn't wait to pump him for all the details.

Eric elegantly got out of his seat and stood up, then held out a hand for mine, "Come, I think we should continue this conversation in my office."

I gulped. Does that mean kitty wants to play or does the vampire want to talk business? Maybe he wanted to combine business with pleasure. My brain couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not. Nobody would see or interrupt us. My pleasure center had no such problems. She did a happy dance at the thought and mewed repeatedly while holding out her behind towards him like a lioness in heat: _Here, kitty, kitty._ Maybe I should call her 'Cookie'. I shook my head at the image. My hormones were as out of control as a tropical storm.

I took his hand, regardless.

And into the lion's den I went!

Cookie was purring happily.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone!

Again thank you for your wonderful reviews. Keep them up!

This chapter is a little bit shorter and is only part one of the 'the talk' Sookie and Eric are about to have.

Have a great weekend and enjoy!

**Chapter 3:**

The office door closed with a dull thud and the noise of the bar became subdued as it faded into the background.

Eric guided me with his hand – which he had not let go of since taking it – to a black leather couch in the right corner of the room. I took a quick look around and was surprised at what I found: The walls were white – a stark contrast to the actual bar theme – and on the side opposite the door was an antique looking desk with strange curly carvings and a leather chair. There was also a big book shelf in dark wood, complimenting the desk, which claimed the complete back wall.

"Take a seat," he said and I made myself comfortable. I had the feeling this would be a long conversation. Eric fetched the chair from his desk and took a seat in front of me.

He rested his elbows on his knees and regarded me with a look that meant business. All the playfulness from our banter out in the bar was gone. "What are you?"

I blinked. **What** am I? That was an odd way to phrase the question: **What** am I; not **who**, but **what**. "What I am is a waitress," I answered, a little confused. But I had the suspicion my chosen profession wasn't what he meant so I cocked my head to the side and looked at him with what I hoped was a questioning look. The echo of that question triggered a memory in my mind, "You know, Bill asked me the same thing the night we met. What's up with that?" You would never ask a person, **what** he was. That wouldn't make sense. You would ask about a dog what breed it was …

Breed._ Race, Species_ …

Then, just like that, I had a light bulb moment. I gasped. _I knew it!_ "There aren't just vampires out there, am I right?" Of course I was! Why would vampires be the only mythological creatures turned reality?

I was very excited all of a sudden. I was definitely not the only freak out there anymore. But then another thought occurred to me. What would that have to do with me? Deep down I knew that my telepathy must somehow come from something other than human or there would have been more like me out there, I especially felt this was so once the vampires came out. But now my excitement turned to dread and I had to swallow a big lump in my throat. It had more to do with the unknown thought than actual fear of not being entirely human.

Was I ready for the truth though? I didn't think so; at least not yet.

Eric seemed to have no clue about my inner turmoil, "You are very shrewd Ms. Stackhouse. There are indeed other species out there. Every fairytale and myth starts with a seed of truth but that's a topic for another time. Maybe I should rephrase my question: How did you know there was going to be a raid," _Oh, that_, I thought remorsefully. "And don't tell me you knew the cop. My bullshit meter was reading that as false. And I'm even more curious to know why you didn't want Bill to know."

_Shit_! Was I really going to tell him? I knew I had made up my mind earlier in the day to do just that but as the truth was about to come out I was rethinking everything. Could I really trust him? What would he do with that information? What would he **make** me do? Would he take advantage of the situation? _Sigh_, I knew there was no way around it. He was too smart for me to bullshit him.

I started with the easy question just to stall for a bit longer, "First, would you really trust Bill with a secret?"

Eric looked surprised for a moment at my evasive question but then scrunched up his face. It would have been quite comical if the topic not been so serious. And it was answer enough for me. "Yeah, me neither! So that answers one of your questions. And the other one," I sighed and closed my eyes. Here we go! "I'm a telepath! I can read minds."

Silence.

Deafening. Silence.

Huh? I had imagined just about any reaction: from an outraged cry to laughter or just plain killing me on the spot. But not … **nothing**! Confused, I slowly opened one eye… and was even more confused at what I found.

An amused vampire?

What. The. Hell?

I was dumbfounded. Why was he reacting that way? I didn't understand. My disability was definitely not something to laugh about. Or was he laughing about me being nervous about telling him? Either way, not cool! Instead of saying something I just scowled at him.

But it had the desired effect. Eric sobered and asked the million dollar question, "Can you read my mind?"

I sighed in relief. "No! I hear nothing from you. Where your mind should be is this big bubble or void. It's quite peaceful actually."

"Good, I thought as much. You were not reacting in any way when I was testing you."

"You were testing me? You **knew**? How?"

"Surveillance footage. I examined it before you arrived. There was not even the slightest hint that you were looking at the cop before you came looking for me. He was not even in your line of sight so I suspected that you must have some special ability: Either you were a telepath or psychic. The psychic I had once had never smelled as delicious as you though. But she was still incredible." He spoke the last part in a dreamy tone.

My eyebrow almost rose into my hairline, "Did the psychic think so," I replied saucily.

Eric laughed, "For a while," he answered ambiguously.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. Yeah, I could imagine. But on the other hand I didn't want to think about it too much. This 'for a while' could mean many different things, good and bad. I had absolutely no desire to find out whether it was good **or** bad. Therefore I, not so subtly, changed the subject. "So, you said yesterday we have a few things to discuss. And I have questions of my own."

To his credit he waited patiently while I scrolled through my mental list of questions, "Why did you ask me about having Bill's blood and, more specifically, him having my blood at the same time?"

His expression changed to one of pride and I mentally patted myself on the back for having inherited all the brain cells of the Stackhouse family. Poor Jason! "Did Compton ever tell you about our history? Hierarchy? Traditions?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. A question for a question again. I was so sick of it. "You …"

But he interrupted me before I could even finish forming the thought in my mind. "I will answer your question but it is linked to the ways and customs of vampires. I have a suspicion and I need to know where to start with the explanation. Now that you are involved, quite intimately, in the supernatural world, you need the background information for the future. It could save your life."

That shut me up. I was smart enough to admit that he was right. Knowledge was power. And like he said, it could save my life. I swallowed my temper and said, "No, he never really told me anything. He didn't want to burden me, or so he said. He also said that it was for my own protection that I didn't know," I made it clear with a look that it wasn't from lack of curiosity or questions.

Eric nodded, "I guessed as much. Though now that I know you're a telepath it could be exactly the opposite. Sooner or later the supes will find out about you. There will be no way to avoid it. Does Compton know?"

I mulled that over for a second before I shook my head, "I don't think so. I never told him but that doesn't mean he doesn't suspect something."

Eric nodded thoughtfully, "Or he already knows," he murmured.

I blanched, "What?" It came out more like a shriek. What did that mean he already knows? How could he know?

He held up his hand to stop the rant I was about to begin, "Sookie, the vampire world consists of a strict hierarchy. The United States is divided into regions – we call them clans – which are further divided into states. Every state is a kingdom: sometimes two or more states combine to form a kingdom. Each kingdom is ruled by a king or queen. Louisiana, for example, has a queen: Her name is Sophie-Ann LeClerq and she lives in New Orleans.

"The kingdoms are again divided into areas which are overseen by sheriffs. We live in 'Area Five' and I am its sheriff."

I listened with rapt attention. It was fascinating to learn how the vampire system worked. It sounded kind of medieval to me with kingdoms, kings, queens and sheriffs but I wasn't really that surprised: I had already seen how old fashioned vampires could be first hand. "So, when you say 'sheriff' do you mean like the human sheriff?"

"Kind of. Being a vampire doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. It is my job to guarantee the vampires in my retinue don't break our laws and in return I promise them my protection. It doesn't matter whether the protection is against drainers, church fanatics like the 'Fellowship of the Sun' or other vampires. That is only one of a sheriff's job though." That explained my silent question from earlier about how he had said 'my vampires'. They **were** his vampires. "Anyway," he continued and told me about the council, how each member represented each supernatural species, how their word was law and that at the head of the council stood an old female vampire whom they called the 'Ancient Pythoness'.

"Now comes the information which is pertinent to my question last night: Vampire blood is sacred to us, we guard it jealously so it's a big deal if we give it to a human.

"There are two different kinds of blood connections with a human. The first one: called a 'blood tie', is one-sided. The vampire gives the human his blood. From then on, for approximately 120 days, the vampire can feel the human's emotions and he can locate the human's whereabouts through the blood until it leaves the human host or the human has more of the blood, in which case the counter restarts again at one but it doesn't work the other way around.

"For the human the side effects are entirely different: The physical appearance and senses will intensify, it increases the libido and he will start to have sexual dreams about the vampire. It will increase the feelings the human has for the vampire as well. I bet Bill didn't mention that either."

"No, he didn't," I answered angrily and crossed my arms over my chest. I fumed silently as I let the information wash over me. "So, when you said it will increase the human's feelings, does that mean if he felt attracted to the vampire and then drank his blood, he would be in love with him?"

"More like adoration or worse, obsession. But it also works in reverse. If the human is afraid of the vampire it could turn into dread or into the worst kind of fear or terror. It will fade over time but it all depends on the amount of blood and the age of the vampire."

"Okay. You said there were two kinds of blood connections, what's the other one?"

"That's the tricky one. It is called a 'blood bond'. It has all the attributes of a blood tie except the vampire and human exchange blood at the same time. Like a blood tie it fades over time but when they exchange three times it becomes permanent and is only breakable by the final death of either party.

"When the bond is complete it's a two-way street. The human and vampire can feel each other's emotions and can influence the other through it. You can probably guess that this type of bond is very rare.

"Vampires are not particularly fond of sharing our feelings so we would generally only do it to control a human, much like a Renfield, or, even more rarely we will bond if it is a love match."

"So that's why you asked me if Bill had my blood that night: to see whether he had tied me to him or had started a bond?"

"Exactly, although it doesn't make sense. Why would Compton, or any other vampire, initiate a tie after only knowing the human for 48 hours?

"A vampire with any common sense or survival skills would not start a blood bond with a complete stranger for the hell of it, even if said stranger is beautiful and smells especially delicious," he leered at me. I blushed. "And there are other indications that something is not right. You said you had to wait for Bill that night?"

"Yes, I was closing that night and I had asked Bill to meet me in the parking lot at one o'clock. He didn't show up at first and then the Rattrays were there. Bill literally rescued me at the last second."

Eric's face became a stony mask, "Sookie, vampires are **never** late unless there is a life or death situation or Mother Nature interferes. Since we have an inner clock, we always know – down to the second - what time it is.

"We are immortal; we have all the time in the world so why should we be late?"

I gaped at him, speechless. Did he just indicate that… **oh**! "Did you just say that Bill was intentionally late? But… how did he know that the Rats would be there?" I looked Eric in the eyes and knew the answer to my question the moment I spoke it out loud.

OH. That. **Bastard**.

I was so angry I could have spit but I was also disappointed and a little afraid.

In a way I had trusted Bill not to harm me despite the warning bells blaring in my head every time I saw this odd twinkle in his eyes.

Damn, my grandmother had been alone with him once or twice. He could have done anything with, or to, her and she would never have remembered thanks to the glamour the vampires possessed.

Despite my thoughts I couldn't really imagine it, "Do you really think he's capable of something like that?" Maybe it was denial. Probably. I didn't want to believe someone who was so devious was living just across the cemetery from us. And I certainly didn't want to think that vampires were the monsters the church fanatics wanted us to believe.

Naïve of me? With certainty! And I promised myself right then and there that I would stop being that kind of woman.

Eric snorted. A strange sound, coming from him. "Sookie, we are vampires! The first lesson you have to learn is: you need to stop seeing us in such a romantic way. We are not the 'Twilight' guys. Of course he is capable of something like that. He has done worse. **I** have done worse. Just because we seem civilized to you doesn't mean we don't kill. I have killed thousands in my undead life, tortured them and slaughtered them!"

My eyes widened. _Thanks for telling me, buddy, _I thought. _Do you have to say that to my face in quite _**that**_ way?_

I didn't even have time to react: one second I was sitting on the couch, the next I was suddenly shoved against the wall with a very scary – fangs bared and all – looking vampire right in my face. My heart was jumping out of my chest and adrenaline was shooting through my body.

What the hell was going on? What did I do to make him that angry? My fight or flight response kicked in and I tried to break out of the firm hold he had on my shoulders. I clawed and scratched at his arms and hands but it was no use: I had no chance.

"You didn't even see it coming, did you," he snarled. His face moved to my throat and I could hear him inhale my scent: His tongue licked my pulse point. I started shaking and my eyes almost bugged out of my head. "Hmmm, delicious," Eric growled. And when he looked back into my eyes, his pupils started to swirl like these black and white moving spirals to hypnotize people. Fascinating – and scary as hell!

I couldn't help but stare at him. A thousand thoughts ran through my head. What is it people say when they are facing their own death? They could see their life flashing before their eyes?

Pfft, nope, not me! I just saw his distorted face and just thought: _Make it quick. Please, just kill me quickly!_

"I could have drained you dry in ten seconds and you could have done nothing about it. Or I could have chained you up on a wall and fucked you almost to death and then drained you." Okay, **now** I was really scared! I knew my life was over. Did I misjudge him completely? Did he lure me into his office just to find an excuse to eliminate the telepath? Was I too much trouble for him? Then why did he explain all these things to me? As a diversion? As a way to lull me into a false sense of security?

But why? Was he that bored with his life and needed me to find new ways to amuse himself? Like 'oh look at this little naïve girl who wants to play with us vampires, we can use her for entertainment'.

Oh, I was so angry that my life meant so little to him. He was no lion, no king of the beasts. He was just a normal mean cat who was playing with the little mouse before eating her. I would not give him the satisfaction of cowering in front of him and begging him to spare me. No, I held my head high and looked him square in the eyes, waiting for the end.

Suddenly his features became softer and his hold on me relaxed a little. _Huh? What now?_ "But I wouldn't do any of that because I don't kill for sport. Other vampires though wouldn't see it that way. They see something they like and just take it. Never misjudge vampires by their appearances, it could be deadly. What do the humans say? Still waters run deep." Then he let go of me.

Okay, point taken! I was panting as I leaned against the wall. "Alright, I won't." My voice sounded shaky and I hated myself for that. But I don't think I'd ever had that kind of fright in my entire life so I had the right to sound a little weak after that, right?

I needed to sit down – my knees felt like rubber, hah, whose wouldn't – so I wobbled back to the sofa and let myself drop onto the cushions. I was still shaking like a leaf and I tried to calm myself by running my hands over my face.

But just a second later I jumped like ten feet in the air as – suddenly – the office door slammed open and an irritated Pam high heeled it into the room. "Yes, master," she hissed. She sounded like we had just stolen her favorite toy. And how did she know to come in here?

Eric raised an eyebrow at her attitude. "Pam, would you be so kind as to bring our dear Ms. Stackhouse a glass of water? She seems to be a little out of breath," he said in a sugary sweet voice while he leered at me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

Asshole!

Pam scoffed, "Do I look like a fucking waitress?"

I cringed. Thanks Pam!

Eric just snarled at her and she hissed right back before marching back out of the room, not even bothering to close the door.

Lovely!

Maybe I should introduce her to my Gran. She would have a field day teaching Pam some manners. Once I had calmed down a bit I told him just that. The only answer he gave me was a booming laugh which shook the walls.

"Maybe I will consider it. It would serve her right. I've spoiled her too much," he added.

"I heard that!" Pam came back in and shoved the glass, which was filled to the brim, right into my hands. Of course it spilled over.

I said, "Thank you, Pam. That was very kind of you," in the sweetest voice I could muster which was just couched in sarcasm. My Gran always said, "It's cruel to be kind or kill them with kindness".

Just before she reached the door, she said as if it was an afterthought, "The weasel by the name of Bill Compton called asking for Ms. Stackhouse. I told him to go piss himself." And off she went.

Wow! I shook my head. I was no saint – and don't even start with Jason - but Pam definitely topped it all.

Strangely enough, I liked her.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is chapter 4 for you.

Again, thank you so much for for your lovely Reviews. They really Keep me going.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 4:**

I quietly sipped my water – a gin and tonic would have been more to my liking but I still needed to drive home - as I watched Eric pace around the room like a caged lion. He seemed deep in thought.

Eric wasn't the only one with something to think about. Everything I'd heard so far was hard to accept but I went there for answers and I got them. Just because those answers were hard to accept or not to my liking didn't diminish the fact I had done what I went there to do or the magnitude of the information I had been given. And we hadn't even finished, yet.

I had a feeling my head was going to be on overload sooner or later.

I was still baffled by the amount of information he had so willingly given me. There had to be some kind of catch…

I groaned inwardly and could have smacked myself. _He's a vampire, Sookie_! _Of course there's going to be some kind of compensation for the volume of super-secret vampire information he told you. There always is!_

Sneaky bastard!

I could already envision the amusement I would see on his face if I were to ask him what the catch was. I could also see, just a moment later, the deviousness cross his features as he figures out just what the payment will be. Ha, that would never happen!

Perhaps if I could just leave fast enough he'd forget about the debt? Yeah, _snort, _highly unlikely. I know: Wishful thinking on my part. Well, it was already water under the bridge. I would have to suffer the consequences as they came.

I drove away that thought and instead reviewed what we had discussed over the previous hour. I frowned as I remembered something I'd overlooked before. What had he said about the side effects of a vampire's blood? It increases the libido and the human will have sexual dreams about the vampire? I told him the night before that I was still waiting for that to happen. Why?

"If Bill had started a blood bond with me why do I not have any of the so called side effects," I asked, truly puzzled.

Eric stopped for a moment, "I think it has something to do with your telepathy. Our glamour doesn't work on you either." He gave me a meaningful look; I just gave him a cheesy smile back. "I think that's only part of the explanation though.

"Glamour is direct mind control whereas the heightened sexuality is more or less controlled through our blood."

I scoffed, "What do you mean 'controlled through our blood'? You can control what we dream about you?" Just imagining this offended me to no end.

"No, we cannot control such things. It's more like the vampire's blood encourages the human's mind to dream the fantasies he already had about the vampire," Eric explained, which soothed my insulted self immensely.

I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page though so just to clarify I asked, "So you think he can't control me at all."

"Correct, you don't seem affected by it one little bit, at least not yet. I don't know what would happen if the bond had been completed though."

Hoo boy, judging by the face he made he didn't seem to like not knowing something at all. Him even admitting that he didn't know something seemed to be some kind of miracle. "You are a curiosity, Miss Stackhouse."

I grimaced. Great! I was even more an oddity than before. Maybe I should go to 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!' That way people could finally stare at me openly.

Eric had probably meant it as a compliment. Hell, he was a thousand year old vampire; he had most likely seen it all therefore something like that coming from him would have to be some form of praise. To me it was like a slap in the face. All my life my biggest wish had been to blend in, to be normal and little things like that made me realize that it would never, ever be.

But I was not there to complain. I knew I had people who loved me – even if they were few and far between – and I still had a great life thanks to my gran. I'm sure a lot of people had it far worse than me. So no, complain and whine I would not.

Anyway, we went off track. Thinking back over Bill's machinations I realized that I was maybe still in denial about him and his ways; just a little bit. I didn't know why. Maybe it was for the sake of my gran. She had welcomed him into her home and he had even agreed to speak at one of her DGD meetings.

I snorted and rolled my eyes at myself. God, that sounded so naïve. Hadn't I promised myself to stop being that kind of girl? Had I not learned anything? I needed to take Eric's warning to heart and rip the wool from my eyes. Hadn't Bill shown me just the night before that he wasn't the Southern Gentleman he wanted me to believe?

So, if what Eric suspects about him is right and he did all that to get his blood into me then there were only two questions left: why and how? **Why** did he do that? Bill hadn't known me before that night; at least not to my knowledge. Or he had been secretly stalking my every move before he introduced himself to me. I wouldn't put it past him anymore. And if he did, **how** did he find out about me beforehand?

"The queen," Eric said, startling me out of my inner musing. I was still a little jumpy – thanks to snarly-face over there – so I couldn't help but flinch. I needed a second to connect his answer to my – probably not so – silent questions.

Surprised I asked, "Who's the telepath now? How did you know what I was thinking?"

He arched an eyebrow, amused, "You were murmuring to yourself and I have vampire hearing."

"Oh," Yeah, I tended to do that sometimes when I was deep in thought. Clearing my throat I asked, "What about the queen?"

Eric smiled humorlessly; it didn't suit him at all. "Bill has been part of Sophie-Anne's court for the last 50 years with all its advantages and conveniences. He is her procurer so why would he leave all that luxury and move to the shithole he calls his ancestral home?"

My blood chilled at the word 'procurer'. _Someone, who procures or obtains something_, I thought to myself. You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots; just know how to use those kiddie puzzle books. It all made sense now: Him living just across the cemetery from me – coincidence much? - Him always seeking me out and trying to get his blood into me. My stomach dropped into my feet, "Because he is procuring something for her," I whispered.

He looked at me like I was a science project, "Or someone. Someone with a rare talent and someone who lives in Bon Temps. Do you know anybody who fits that description Ms. Stackhouse?"

I gave him a sour look, "Me," I said despondently.

Eric just inclined his head. We stared at each other for a long while until another thought occurred to me. I furrowed my brows, "How did they find out about me? I don't even know anyone with connections to New Orleans, least of all a vampire queen."

Why was he giving me this sly smile? Did he know something I didn't? Pff, of course he did! He was probably just waiting for me to ask so he could lecture me like a child. Oh, wait, wrong vampire! Didn't matter. He was on my shit list as well at the moment. "I can see that you know something little ole me doesn't. You're almost bursting with it. Care to share with the rest of the class?" Can you tell I was still a little miffed at him for scaring me?

Eric touched his chest in mock hurt and smiled a slightly lopsided smile, "Why do you have to ruin my fun?"

I just arched an eyebrow in answer.

He laughed and took a step to his desk and grabbed a folder. He leaned against the desk, stretched out his long legs and flicked through the pages.

_Hmm, yummy_, Cookie purred.

"Let's see… Sookie Stackhouse, age 25, born July 1st; parents deceased; living relatives: Brother Jason Stackhouse, grandmother Adele Hale Stackhouse, cousin Hadley Delahoussaye, great-uncle Bartlett Hale…"

That last name sucked the air out of my lungs and I could do nothing but tense up. I was as tight as a bow string. Of course Eric's hawk-like gaze saw that and his eyes narrowed.

I returned his gaze stubbornly and tried not to relive the memories he unconsciously evoked. Memories of a childhood long gone that were filled with nightmares of man who had questionable sexual tendencies. That's why I couldn't keep quiet any longer, "You have a file on me," I said through clenched teeth and tried to divert him from the obvious question I desperately didn't want to answer.

"Of course! I haven't survived for a thousand years by not knowing who I'm dealing with to the best of my abilities. I do background checks on everyone I meet. It has saved my existence more times than I can count."

His explanation soothed me a little. I could understand his precautions and like he said earlier: Information leads to knowledge and knowledge is power which would mean more power over my own life.

I was a little annoyed though, could he not have just asked me? He knew everything about me now and the mystery and suspense of getting to know someone was gone. Where was the fun in that? _Hmpf_. I knew I was sulking and behaving like a petulant child but thank god it was all only in my head. Still, not one of my finer moments.

That gave me an idea though. Maybe I should do a little investigating of my own. He's a business man and if I guessed right, a damn good one at that. There has to be articles about him from newspapers or magazines online. Who said I should use my internet access at home only for my studies?

Unfortunately, the distraction on my part didn't work so well. Why couldn't he fucking leave it alone? "Don't think I don't know what you were trying to do. What's with this B…"

My eyes widened.

"**Don't**," I shouted and held up my hand in a stopping gesture. My heart was racing and the air coming out through my lips actually sounded like a growl. "Just don't," I repeated forcefully.

Eric watched me closely while he had his head turned to one side. Finally he relented, "Alright, but I will find out about it, one way or another."

_I bet_, I thought. _But definitely not from me!_

I took a shuddering breath and forced us back on track because I'd had enough with that line of the conversation, "So you think one of my relatives sold me out. I can guarantee my gran and my brother would never do that." Even if Jason was as dumb as a rock sometimes. "They would rather sell their souls to the devil than betray me, so they are out of the picture. The last name you've mentioned," I spat, "Has been sitting in a wheelchair for years now with barely any contact with the outside world, so he's not eligible either." But believe me, I wish he was! "The only unknown party is Hadley though I haven't seen her for nearly six years; not since she took off after stealing the money my gran had given her for the rehab clinic she said she wanted to go to for her drug addiction." I will never ever forgive her for that! "Honestly, I think she's a 'Jane Doe' in an anonymous grave somewhere."

I knew I sounded harsh but that's the way I felt about her. Nobody steals money from Gran and gets away with it; definitely not after taking off while her own mother was dying of cancer. Yeah, I know, my family was seriously messed up. Poor Gran. I couldn't comprehend what she had been going through for the last 20 years.

Apparently Eric wanted to enlighten me about my cousin, "I don't think so. Does this Hadley have some similarities to you by any chance?"

I swallowed hard because I had a bad, bad feeling about where this was going. "Yes. In High-School we looked very much alike. We could have been sisters, though she was slightly taller and thinner than me. She had blond hair and blue eyes as well. But I have no idea what she would look like now." I took a deep breath, "Why?" My voice sounded shaky and a little bit too high.

"There is a human by the name of Hadley at Sophie-Anne's court. She fits your description perfectly and has a lot of similarities with you as well. This Hadley is the queen's favorite pet at the moment."

I closed my eyes and dropped my head in defeat. I didn't need to question him because I just knew it to be true. A member of my own family had sold me out.

Hadley and I had never been close. She was too selfish and desperate for attention to be friends with me. I was the black sheep and she wanted to be popular, a part of the 'in' crowed. Naturally, we clashed. I don't think I need to describe what that entailed.

I wasn't really surprised that she was the one to snitch but it still hurt. It hurt like a bitch. And right then and there I swore to myself that Hadley would pay. One way or another I would make her suffer for all the things she had put me through in my life. If that was not very Christian of me I didn't care. Selling me and my disability out was the straw that broke the camel's back and she would not get away with it. She had wronged me one time too many and I was not going to let it go yet again.

I lifted my head and locked my eyes with Eric's in a steely gaze. He could probably see the fire behind mine. No one said a word out loud but that was not needed: We still had a conversation going on and after just a moment we came to a tacit understanding. Eric inclined his head in agreement and that was the end of it.

I'd had enough of the somber mood so I tried to drive away my melancholy by shaking my head. "So Mr. Know-it-all, what else does that file say about me? Just remember, you shouldn't believe everything you read."

Eric smirked at me and the mischievous twinkle was back in his eyes, just what I had intended. He flipped through the pages in mock concentration until he found something he thought was interesting. I was curious to know what that could be because honestly I found my life boring as hell. "A little goblin whispered in my ear that you take online classes at LSU in history." He regarded me with obvious appreciation.

I patted myself on the back for making the right choice. A few years back, I was confronted by my gran whether I wanted to get a higher education or work at Merlotte's as a waitress for the rest of my life. There was no thinking on it on my part. Of course I wanted to get a better education; even if it was just to someday get out of the shithole I called my hometown. But how to accomplish that? School has been a nightmare for me because of my telepathy and as a result I'd never had good grades. Then my High-School friend Tara pointed out to me that I could do online classes: I wouldn't even have to be in a room full of students to get a degree. Let me tell you I've never driven to the Bon Temps library to do research that fast in my life.

"The goblin also told me that you will soon have your Master's Degree. What is your specialty?"

I grinned a silly grin and bit my lower lip while batting my eyelashes and trying to sound as innocent as possible, "Vikings?" The Nordic and Celtic history has always been my favorite throughout my studies and I knew instantly it would be the topic I specialize in.

His answer was a booming laugh. He laughed long and hard so I was not surprised when his face was stained with red tears. I just leaned back and enjoyed the show. My stomach was dancing with butterflies. Damn, he was beautiful when he laughed.

He was beautiful. Period.

After Eric had himself back under control and had wiped away all evidence of any tears, he looked back at me with mirth in his eyes, "Oh Sookie, you surprise me to no end." I took that as a good thing. "Maybe I should keep you for entertainment value."

Cookie, who had been watching the show while lazing in the sun, pricked her ears immediately. _Hmm, define entertainment_, she purred and stretched herself.

_Bad, bad Cookie_, I admonished her silently.

Eric either must have seen my not so innocent look or he had smelled the moisture down there in my nether regions because his look became predatory and he began to stalk towards me.

Uh oh!

Either way, I didn't think while my fight or flight instincts took over. I don't know if it was the fright from earlier still affecting me or if it was my inner kitten wanting to come out and play by poking the predator.

It didn't matter anyway: I made a dash towards the door.

And well, that's as far as I got.

Eric had me pinned to the back of the door with his whole body before I could even register that I had gotten up from the couch.

I was already panting hard and my nerve endings were on overload where he was touching me. That was pretty much my whole front.

And his body was hard.

Everywhere.

Just recognizing that got my panties wet with arousal. Cookie had definitely woken up and was already prowling and growling for attention. She had found a new toy and wanted to come out and play with it. I had trouble keeping her in check while she rattled her cage. Well, let's just say I couldn't blame her.

Meanwhile Eric traced his nose along my cheek, over my chin and down to my neck where my pulse was beating erratically. Somehow I had a sense of déjà-vu, especially as I felt his fangs scraping over – but not penetrating – my artery.

I started to shake again.

From pleasure.

I had no idea that my neck was an erogenous zone and I was not prepared for the pleasure shooting through my body. My knees wobbled and I would have fallen to the floor if Eric hadn't been holding me up by pressing his lower half into mine.

And then he started moving.

Oh my… fuuuck! My eyes rolled into the back of my head while said head hit the door. I started moaning in surprise and pleasure.

Now I knew for sure why the fangbangers were so eager to get Eric's attention. If what I felt was real he would make them very happy.

Hell, I would be a very happy – and sated – woman in just a few moments if he didn't stop moving his pelvis.

And he didn't stop. Instead he pressed himself into me even harder and kept a frantic rocking rhythm while he licked and sucked on my pulse point at the same time.

To say I was in absolute bliss was an understatement. And Cookie was in absolute kitty heaven. I didn't even think about pushing him away from me - hah, I didn't even want to.

I wrapped my arms around Eric's neck and pulled him more tightly to me while I wrapped my legs around his hips. He put his paw-like hands on the bare skin of my thighs to steady me.

Huh? How did my skirt end up around my abdomen? I didn't care. I mimicked his movements and … oh … the results couldn't have been more exhilarating. The angle was just right and his hard length pressed directly into my oversensitive pearl.

"Oh," I gasped and began to moan and mewl in earnest. I could hear hissing and growling noises coming from Eric. He seemed to be enjoying himself as well, especially when he put his face in the valley between my breasts and started nibbling and licking the sweat that had gathered there.

I've always been sensitive there so I could feel my orgasm rolling up like a freight train. I didn't want the moment to ever end and tried to hold out a little longer: Though just a few rocking and licking motions more and I could feel myself exploding like a bottle rocket on the fourth of July. My body went rigid and I let out a sharp cry before I instinctively lunged forward and bit Eric's neck – though not hard enough to break skin.

I literally saw stars and could do nothing more than hold on for dear life.

In my blissed out brain I barely registered Eric's body becoming stiff as I bit him and his manhood swelling unbelievably thicker. He let out a loud growl and then shot his load into his jeans.

Nobody moved for a long time and we were both panting heavily as we came back down from our high. After a few moments Eric gave the swelling of my breast a final lick and then let me back down onto my own two feet. My legs felt like rubber and he put his hands back on my hips to help steady me.

He then lifted his head to look me in the eyes with a dark gaze, "Lesson number two: Never, ever flee from a predator. It awakens our hunting instincts. Once we spot and smell our prey we'll never lose the trail and we hunt it down until we catch it. A vampire younger than me, and with less restraint, would likely have bitten, raped and then killed you."

I gulped. Okay, that speech immediately pulled my spirit back down to earth. Unconsciously I put my hand on my neck to feel for bite marks but felt nothing. I looked down to my cleavage but other than being red and moist from his aggressive nuzzling my skin was flawless.

Surprised and relieved I looked back up at him and nearly gasped at the fire I found in his eyes. Damn, his mood swings could rival a pregnant woman. His lips formed into a smirk while he said huskily, "That was just a taste of what is to come when I finally have you in my bed."

Just a taste? My eyes almost bugged out of my head. I just had an orgasm in 20 seconds flat. If that was the result of him dry humping me I didn't think I would survive it when he actually took his time.

And he said 'when' not 'if'. I arched an eyebrow, "Cocky much," I asked cheekily.

Eric just gave me a very toothy - and sharp - leer, "Very!"

I snorted. Yeah, I guessed as much. As if to give expression to his offer he took my right hand and put it on the front of his jeans. I could feel a wet spot and his very impressive and still hard erection. I almost whimpered at the feel of it.

"This will be yours when you let me have you," he breathed into my ear. Shivers went up and down my spine and Cookie purrrrrrrrred.

It was a very tempting offer. Believe me, I would think **long** and **hard** about it. Someone as experienced as him would certainly make my first time that much more enjoyable - and less painful – but on the other hand, I was not really the one-night stand kind of girl. I would not be able to hold onto him for long, of that I was certain. It would lead to heartbreak because I knew I would become attached to him and I didn't think I could go through that heartache.

So the only thing I could say, after I cleared my throat, was, "I'll think about it."

Eric inclined his head and smirked slyly, "You just do that."

I nodded and put myself back to rights as much as I could before I went to the couch to get my purse. I needed to get out of there. The sexual tension between us was suffocating me and the recent incident had done nothing to sate the hunger. On the contrary actually: our little interlude had made me hungrier for more of what he was dishing out. Besides, my brain was on overload from all the information I had received. I needed to put distance between us. "I think I should go. It's late. I don't want to worry my gran."

Eric had not moved when I turned around to go back to the door. He was standing in the same spot I had left him in, inconveniently blocking the exit.

"Not so fast," he said.

_Damn!_

He had a smirk on his lips, like he was the devil himself – he probably was. "Lesson number three: Information always comes with a price." _Hah, I knew it!_ "We never do something out of the goodness of our hearts." I had to hold back a snort at that. It sounded very strange coming from him. "And especially not information of the magnitude I gave you," he explained in thuggish pleasure.

I crossed my arms over my chest and popped my left hip out to the side, "What do you want," I asked stonily, though I had a pretty good idea.

"I would like to do a blood exchange." His face was completely neutral.

I gulped and my heart began to race but I said nothing, yet.

"I need collateral so that I know you won't breach my trust or betray me in any way."

I scoffed, "I will not run and mouth off to the next person who will listen. I'm better than that. I won't go to Bill or the Queen of Louisiana either: I don't have a death wish."

"That much I know. I didn't figure you to be a gossip. But again, I didn't survive so many centuries by being careless. Take it as more like a precaution for my own protection and safety for you as well: I would know when you are in trouble by sensing your distress. Besides, a blood exchange between us would cancel out the one you have with Bill.

"Since I am older my blood is more powerful so it would override a younger vampire's blood. Other vampires would recognize my scent in you and would see you as mine. Of course, you would also need to tell them so."

"But wouldn't Bill feel it when your blood overrules his," I asked a little confused and cautious. I didn't want Bill to be alarmed and do something drastic.

"No, it doesn't happen from one second to the next. I can will it to slow down considerably. That way it's more like a subtle process over days. The same goes with the scent." My eyes widened in astonishment. _He can do that? How powerful is he?_ "He will think your metabolism is faster than normal."

I contemplated this for a long moment. My heart was telling me yes, do it; and my head was being very cautious. It didn't want to be bound to someone without examining the repercussions. Well, I don't think I needed to tell what Cookie wanted.

On the other hand, I had a feeling his explanation was not the real reason he wanted to do this or at least not the only reason. Something told me there were other things going on I couldn't quite grasp yet.

I eyed him suspiciously, "You're not telling me everything."

He looked at me with something akin to respect in his eyes, "Again, you are very shrewd. I admit that this is just the tip of the iceberg, though even I was not entrusted with the details yet. I just know that it **needs** to happen but I'm not entitled to say more at this point. In the end it is your choice but think about it: can you allow yourself to **not** do it?"

I didn't know what to think about his ominous explanation but it would go to the list of questions we would need to discuss at a later time. Pensively, I thought about Bill's actions and its – more than possible – consequences and came to the realization that no, I didn't think I had a choice. He was just sweetening me up for the inevitable. Wasn't it a small price to pay if it kept me alive? "Just so we're clear on this: I'm not yours!" _Yet_, I completed silently. From what I could see on Eric's face he was thinking **yet** as well. Yeah, I know, it was just a matter of time before I would fall. But honestly, where would be the fun in giving in so easily? The chase often sweetened the catch.

Eric inclined his head, "Acknowledged," and smirked, "and challenge accepted."

I had to laugh about that. He wouldn't be the Eric Northman I was getting to know if he didn't have some sort of comeback.

Knowing the time had come I scraped up my last bit of courage and said, "Alright, how do we do this?" and took a few steps to stand in front of him.

Without saying a word he lifted his left hand and pricked his finger with a fang which he then held in front of me.

I blinked, stunned. "That's it?"

"For now," he said, smirking devilishly.

A sense of foreboding settled in my stomach again. I had this feeling a lot lately and I knew something fundamentally was about to change. Cautiously, I took his hand and started to suckle his finger.

I couldn't hold back the moan as his blood hit my tongue. My taste buds exploded like a rainbow in its brightest colors. His blood was thick and rich with flavors like the sweetest wine and darkest chocolate at the same time. I never wanted to stop and tightened my hold on his hand.

Within seconds my body started to absorb his blood and I could feel a change taking effect immediately: There was a humming inside my mind – nothing more than a slight murmur - and then something within me sighed with contentment and happiness.

I felt lightheaded and barely registered as he repeated his movements and pricked one of my fingers. We looked each other in the eyes as we drew blood from the other. It was a highly erotic moment.

Then a hot burn spread through my whole body before it concentrated on a tiny part in the back of my mind where I could feel a connection – like a star in the night sky - starting to develop. Was that the bond with Eric? Have I felt anything like that with Bill? I couldn't remember.

Like all good moments, it ended far too soon. Even after the tiny wound on his fingertip had closed I licked every inch of the skin around the slash so as not to miss a drop. Eric looked at me with a hooded and clearly lust filled gaze as he observed my movements. My panties felt uncomfortably wet again.

With a single step Eric closed the distance between us. Our eyes still locked; he took my finger, squeezed it and guided it from my throat down to my cleavage, leaving a bloody trail behind.

I gasped in surprise as he leaned into me and licked the blood slowly from my skin, beginning between my breasts and ending at my throat. I thought I would orgasm right then and there from the eroticism of it. Surprisingly I was not grossed out at all.

"Hmm, delicious," he whispered in my ear in a panty dropping tone. And when he looked back at me, I could see the stormy ocean in his eyes again. My breath hitched at that and a fluttering tormented my stomach. I didn't know that I had missed that image so much.

"Think about my offer," he said, once again smirking like the Cheshire Cat. He then took a step back again to give me room to leave.

I swayed a little, still dazed, before I could shake myself out of it. Swallowing hard I whispered, "I will." _Oh yes, I definitely will,_ I thought and wobbled out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

It's Saturday and time for an update!

Thank you for your wonderful reviews! As I said before, keep them coming. My muse is thirsty for them ;)

This chapter is a treat for all the Bill haters out there ;) I hope that will make up for a lack of Eric. Yeah, yeah, I know! Don't hate me but he can't be everywhere (at least not physically) and it's about time this sassy and smart Sookie I was talking about comes out to play!

Until next Saturday!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

As my old car rattled its way home I mulled over everything that had happened that night in my head again.

First, there was Eric. He was … not what I would have expected.

His ego was so big maybe he should have lived in Texas since apparently **everything** is bigger in Texas.

He was definitely something different from what I was used to. And that was a good thing, even when he was acting like an arrogant, pompous ass most of the time. He was refreshing too though: right to the point, not pretentious and definitely not a lying, deceiving bastard like Bill. Well, maybe he was but at least he didn't pressure me into anything and told me enough information to be able to make up my own mind.

Although: I had this tiny doubt: Why did he want to do a blood exchange with me so quickly? We barely knew each other - just like I barely knew Bill at the time – and still he decided to start a bond just 24 hours after we met. Yes, I found his reasoning fairly logical – and I think I would have done the same thing in his stead – but I have the feeling there was more going on than he was telling me. He indicated that there was a third party involved. How could someone other than Eric and me know what was about to happen? Somehow I needed to get to the bottom of it.

There was one thing I was pretty sure about: The first night we met – was that only the night before? – he was arrogant, aloof and unattainable. Then, barely 24 hours after meeting, he made an almost complete turnaround. For some strange reason he let me see a side of him which I think barely anyone has ever seen before. He willingly shared information with me – even if it did come with a price, bastard. This led me to believe that something was different between us. I just didn't know what, yet.

I knew, with absolute certainty, that I wanted to get to know him; every facet of his character and every side of his personality – even the bad ones. From the first moment his old eyes met mine a connection was formed; I could feel it deep within me. I knew it wasn't some illusion or the imagination of my overactive mind; even though I didn't understand what was happening just yet.

With the few minutes I spent in his presence the previous night I realized that Eric was more than he portrayed himself as. He had a sense of humor and the few times he let it show I knew there was a mischievous little boy still living inside him. Maybe that was the main reason he drew me in so completely. He was a puzzle I wanted to solve and I would love every minute of it - if the fun we had already had was any indication.

Oh, and let's not forget the sexual tension. You could practically feel the air around us crackling as it charged with energy. The little dry humping session was nothing though: It was a mere drop in the ocean. I didn't know what would happen when we seriously danced between the sheets: Would the whole city suffer a blackout? It wouldn't surprise me!

As if that wasn't enough, I had almost jumped him when we did the blood exchange. His blood was the sweetest thing I'd ever tasted. It was like I imagine the mythological ambrosia that granted the gods immortality would taste like. Maybe it is quite literally ambrosia: A vampire is immortal – or almost immortal, they can still be killed - and when he turns somebody it is because of the blood.

And then there's the actual blood exchange. I think it was the strangest thing to have ever happened to me. It felt like I had an out of body experience. I could, quite literally, see with my inner eye how both our bloods started to mingle and then tightened into this tiny star at the back of my mind.

I reached out for it right then – as if to make sure it was still there – and yes there it was, pulsing and glowing like it was a living being.

Had I ever felt that with Bill?

Earlier at the bar I wasn't so sure about it but right then I could quite honestly say that I had never felt anything like that with him. I never felt anything other than annoyed or angry when it came to Bill Compton. Maybe it was because he didn't have the best of intentions at heart.

Speaking of Bill, the lying, sniveling, deceiving asshole: I was furious with both of us. I was angry with myself for falling for Bill's deceitful ways and with Bill himself for even using me that way. He almost killed me for Christ's sake, just to get his blood into me! That was … that's just … I have no words for it. Barbaric! And then he had the audacity to play the southern gentleman? I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

My anger was back full force. Well, maybe anger wasn't the right word; seething, yes much better. I was seething inside and I had to restrain myself from taking it out on the accelerator. It wasn't my rusty old car's fault and I didn't think it would survive the mistreatment: I couldn't afford a new one.

The more I thought about Bill's treachery the more my blood simmered just below the surface. I had to find a way to vent before I exploded.

So I stopped my car at the side of the road and screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed a little more.

Then I started to curse. I threw any bad word I could think of, maybe a few made up ones as well, at my imaginary Bill's head.

When I finally stopped yelling my throat felt scratchy and I was breathing hard but I definitely felt better.

Maybe I should make a voodoo doll. That way I could vent on it with needles. Now that was an idea! Hmm, or I maybe I could make a life size straw man, paste Bill's picture on it and use it for target practice!

_Just wait, you little weasel. You will get what's coming to you. Karma's a bitch my friend_, I thought devilishly.

Forty-five minutes later I finally turned down Hummingbird Road. I heaved a sigh of relief because I just wanted to fall into bed and get my tired body some much needed rest and that end was now in sight.

Or not.

I could feel a void at the edge of the woods when I got out of my car. The presence of Bill Compton in my life was getting creepy really fast.

I suppressed a shudder and used a lifetime of hiding my reactions to school my features as I made my way to the back door of the house which had been my home for almost twenty years.

But of course I should have known that I wouldn't get away without a confrontation; my wish of falling straight into bed would not be granted right away. I got as far as the steps of the porch when I heard him calling my name.

_Now Bill? Really?_

My nerves were raw as it was. Why couldn't he leave me alone just for one night?

_Sigh_. Here we go!

I turned around and faked a surprised expression, "Oh, hey Bill."

He didn't hide his disapproval of my choice in clothing as he scrutinized my outfit from head to toe. He probably thought I was showing too much cleavage or his beloved petticoat was missing. Well that was just too bad since I didn't give a rat's ass.

His gaze reminded me of a father who criticized his daughter's every move. What right did he have to treat me that way? He didn't even know me. Did he see me as a little girl who had no right to have her own mind or life?

I felt disgusted.

"Sookie, where have you been? I tried to call on you but your grandmother told me you went out," he said with a condescending tone.

A chill settled in my bones. Had he been alone with her? Had she invited him in? What had he done to her?

I tried to keep calm so he wouldn't feel my inner panic. Damn him and his blood! I forced myself to stay indifferent and not think about what could have happened since I knew Gran was okay because I could feel her mind sleeping peacefully somewhere in the house behind me.

"Well, hello to you too, Bill. How has your evening been so far? Mine was very … enlightening. Have you been well? I've been **fantastic**!" My words were dripping with sarcasm but I couldn't hold it back. My gran probably would've tanned my hide if she had heard but I didn't care, Bill was too far up on my shit list.

Bill pressed his lips into a thin line and took a few steps towards me, "Why didn't you tell me you were going out?"

_Calm, stay calm_. "I don't see why that is any of your business. If I want to go out in my free time I don't need your permission. I'm not a fifteen year old girl with a curfew anymore and you are not my father."

He had the audacity to look hurt. For a second I was impressed with his bravery – or was it foolishness? Didn't matter. He must have realized that something was not right in 'the Sookieverse' since I'd never talked to him like that before, well other than the night before at the bar. Or maybe he was stupider than I thought.

"But Sookie, it's not safe nowadays for a lady to go out alone," he whined.

Seriously?

_And who says I'm a lady, at least all the time?_

Did he have any idea how pathetic he sounded? I crossed my arms over my chest and arched an eyebrow – very Eric like. "Uh huh, and why is that?"

His gaze became patronizing: I really hated that look. "Because there is a serial killer on the loose, of course, and he could target you. You should be with me when you go out, I can protect you."

I blinked.

_Seriously?_

I stared at him incredulously. Did he even know what he was saying? Did his dinner take a stupid pill? Did he have a junky as a snack who had so many drugs in him that they had affected Bill in an adverse way? "Do you know that you are contradicting yourself? Don't you think that this killer might target me **because** I'm seen with you?"

"Then you should move in with me. He will not find you there!"

I couldn't stop myself, I burst out laughing: The kind of laugh which doubles you over and leaves you gasping for breath and wiping tears from your face. My god, this was so silly, so surreal it was funny. It was … ridiculous. "Oh Bill," I said once I had myself back under control. "I think you had a clown for breakfast." I had to wipe away a few tears. "Firstly, I barely know you so why would I move in with you? I'm perfectly happy living with my Gran and I would never leave her alone. Secondly, don't you think that the murderer - who is obviously anti-vampire - would look in a vampire's house first? And thirdly, maybe you should make your house more livable before you think about roommates, don't you think?" Like Eric said, it **was** a shithole.

Oh, he didn't like that. His face became a stony mask and he took a few more steps towards me. I became wary all of a sudden and took the final step up onto the porch. His nostrils flared as he stood in front of me and I heard a low growl, "You were with **him**, weren't you?" His voice was cold as ice.

I shivered – but not the good kind – and regarded him quizzically, "Him who?" Maybe playing dumb wasn't the smartest move right then but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was scared.

"Eric. You were at Fangtasia tonight. I can smell him all over you!"

There was no use denying it, "Yes. I noticed last night that the music was good. I was in Shreveport anyway and I wanted to have some fun since my escort had a stake up his ass." I knew he could tell I was lying but he didn't know that I knew, he knew. And honestly I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was that he didn't notice the blood exchange with Eric.

So far so good.

Bill's fangs came down and he leaned into me, nostrils flaring and lips curling into a hiss, "You are mine, Sookeh!"

My eyes narrowed to slits. Oh, I'd had enough of the 'mine' crap! "I'm not yours! I never was yours and I never **will** be yours! I'm a free woman of the 21st century and can do what-ever-the-fuck I want!"

Bill sneered at that, "So you're his whore now? Are you so blinded by his good looks that you can't see that he's playing with you? He's the cat and you're the mouse: Once he's had you he'll tire of you and he'll throw you to the side or leave you on the doorstep for your grandmother to find!"

All warmth left my body and my rational mind just turned off. I made a snap decision and I slapped him square in the face.

Damn, was that satisfying!

And I didn't care that my hand probably hurt more than his cheek did at that moment.

Oh, I was seething mad. Again.

How dare he! How dare he call me a whore and compare me to a … mouse? I really had to refrain myself from going all 'Uma Thurman' on Bill's ass.

_Hmm, 'Poison Ivy'_.

Hah I wish! Maybe someday that could be arranged but in the meantime I was going all 'Crazy Sookie' on him because I'd had enough.

My gaze turned cold as ice as I fixed him with a merciless stare, "How dare you," I thundered and shoved him backwards with both hands as I walked back down the stairs. "How dare you," another shove, "call me a whore! Just because I was at the bar, which just happens to be owned by a vampire, it does **not** mean I'm a fucking fangbanger any more than working in a bar means I'm an alcoholic!

"Just because I had a conversation with Eric **does not** mean I'm sleeping with him!" I planted myself directly in front of him and looked him square in the eyes.

He never saw it coming: My right knee hit him with all my strength - and I had ingested vampire blood that night - right there where it hurt the most.

_Huh, I could have sworn I heard the angels sing! Ding dong!_

Bill doubled over and moaned low from the pain. My lips turned up into a devilish grin. I would never, ever forget that face. And … could a vampire really turn green? Oh, how I wished I could take a picture right then.

I leaned down to his right ear and whispered so quietly only he could hear me, "Don't **ever** say something like that about me again! Next time it might just happen that I have a stake in my hand. Do we understand each other?" He jerked his head once in confirmation, "Good. Now, get off my property or I will get out my shotgun, or maybe use a thorny rose stem," I said as I moved towards Gran's rose bushes, "or perhaps I could just break off the broom handle!"

And with a 'whoosh' he was gone.

I waited a second before saying loudly and in a clear voice, "Bill Compton, I rescind your invitation into my house!" Better to be safe than sorry.

I squared my shoulders and breathed out slowly. Mission accomplished!

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke up a little later than usual. When I had gone to bed the night before I hadn't been able to turn off my brain. Too much had gone on and my heart had been beating too fast for me to fall asleep.<p>

I couldn't get the scene with Bill out of my head. The way he acted all jealous and possessive sent chills through my body. I knew why he reacted that way: he saw Eric as a threat to his mission. And the words he said about being Eric's whore and that he would dump me afterwards was Bill's way of trying to scare me away from Eric and probably into Bill's arms. _Snort_; that would never happen. Just thinking about it made me want to puke.

And then there were his eyes. This wild yet cold look in his eyes had chilled me to the bone. It made me believe Eric's words that vampires really are capable of nearly anything even more. What would he try to do now? How far would he go to complete his mission?

Even though kneeing him in the balls had been really satisfying and cathartic it maybe hadn't been one of my more brilliant moments. In the light of a new day my rational mind told me that it definitely was not the best move I had ever made: I didn't think it was such a good idea to make him angry.

They do say that hindsight is twenty-twenty: it definitely was that time.

I got up from my bed and walked to the window. I could see the old Compton house from there through the tree line. It had never bothered me before – it had always been a part of my life – but now it looked haunted like in those horror movies where a dark figure comes out after dark with an axe in its hand. Even in the sunlight the upper windows looked like dark, soulless eyes: I felt like they were staring at me.

I suppressed a shiver.

_Don't be ridiculous, Sookie! You're spooked by an old run-down house? Absurd!_

I shook my head at my inner dialogue and did my morning routine but the chill never left me.

Two hours later I was sitting in front of my old computer – which had been a good bargain at a clearance house - doing some research for my studies. I had decided to ignore the situation with Bill and Eric - and definitely avoid them at all costs - for a day or two. If that was a Scarlett O'Hara move I didn't care. I couldn't view it objectively at the time so a little distance would put a fresh perspective on it. Right?

Thank god I had the day off from work: I could immerse myself in an essay I had to hand in at the end of the week.

An idea had come to me during breakfast. Jason had been there – which was a surprise in its own way - and he had complained about the police having him under surveillance. He couldn't bring a girl home with him anymore because he couldn't 'perform' when he knew that someone was watching his every move. What if they looked through his bedroom window?

I'd wanted to sing _lalala_ in my head. Definitely too much information if you asked me. I asked him if closing the drapes was such a hardship. Of course it was! When he was 'in the mood' he wouldn't be held up by something as trivial as closing the drapes.

I just rolled my eyes.

That got me thinking though: what if the killer had been watching Jason as well because he wanted to frame him? But why Jason of all people? Because it was known that he would sleep with anything in a skirt? Because he was not the sharpest tool in the shed? Maybe a combination of the two. He was the perfect scapegoat.

And that brought the idea that maybe Maudette and Dawn weren't the only victims of our serial killer. I mean why would he kill them now since it was seemingly out of the blue. Vampires had been out of the coffin for a few years at that time and fangbangers had been there almost from day one.

I found it likely that he had killed before. There had to have been some similar murders already. Maybe there was something on the internet?

If our dear Bon Temps police didn't want to look for suspects other than Jason I would have to do it myself.

After I finished my essay that's exactly what I did: I sifted through the archives of every newspaper in the northern part of Louisiana. I even made a few phone calls when the archives were not online yet and made them think I was a student in criminal psychology working on a project and needed to look for crimes which met specific criteria.

One of those calls finally paid off. It was a journalist from 'The News Star' in Monroe who remembered a murder a few years back which was never solved. She sent the article to my email.

As it turned out it was exactly what I was looking for: About four years before – shortly after the vampires came out of the coffin – a woman named Cindy Marshall, a citizen of Monroe, was found strangled in her apartment. She had fang marks on her inner thigh and was strangled with the apron strings of her own work uniform. They didn't suspect a vampire because her death happened in broad daylight. A likely suspect was her own brother, Drew Marshall. Witnesses saw them arguing that day and he seemed to have been violent towards her once as well, although there was never enough evidence to arrest him and they lost his trail soon after.

Unfortunately there was no picture of said Drew Marshall and when I searched the internet I couldn't find anyone who fit the description; they were too old, too young or didn't have a sister named Cindy.

I called the Monroe PD next but all they said was that they couldn't give out any information - especially a picture - because I was not in law enforcement and it was still an ongoing investigation.

I didn't let that little setback get me down though. I had proof now that there was at least one murder before Maudette who had been killed the same way and I had a hunch that this Drew Marshall was the real killer. I just needed to find out who he really was. If he lived in Bon Temps now he had changed his name so I needed a picture; or rather the Bon Temps Sheriff's office needed one. I would go right over there and tell them what I'd found out. They would see that Jason had nothing to do with it and from then on they would look for the real killer. Right?

Wrong!

When I made my way over to the Sheriff's department a while later they refused to even hear me out, "I'm sorry, Ms. Stackhouse but you don't tell us how we should do our job," Detective Andy Bellefleur said haughtily.

Irritated, I raised an eyebrow. Damn, Eric was rubbing off on me. "That's not what I'm doing. All I was saying was that I found an article that said someone else was killed in the same way Dawn and Maudette were. It's exactly the same circumstances and she was strangled too. The police even had a suspect, a man named Drew Marshall. He disappeared during the investigation. What if he moved to Bon Temps and changed his name? You just need to call the Monroe police and ask for a photo of him and you will know who the killer is." It was like explaining algebra to a three year old.

"I think we know best how to run an investigation. You are…," _just a barmaid_, I heard him think, "not in law enforcement so how would you know what's important and what's not in a case like this?"

I blinked. Did he just insinuate I was dumb? Oh, the nerve of him! I had to hold myself back so I wouldn't slap him like I had Bill.

_Stay calm, Sookie_.

Meanwhile we had gathered quite a crowd. Everyone working there – Sheriff Bud Dearborn and Officers Kevin Pryor and Kenya Jones - had come out to the reception room – where we were standing – to see what the heated argument was about. When they saw it was 'Crazy Sookie' they thought they would linger for the free entertainment.

Assholes!

I took a deep breath, "I'm not your stereotypical dumb blonde just like I'm sure you're not the stereotypical Police Officer who spends all his time filling up on donuts and coffee at the local Donut King!" I could see that he got angry over that and took a breath to probably say something like 'You will respect me, I'm a Detective!' but I cut him off, "All I'm saying is that you have the wrong guy. Jason didn't kill those girls. Don't you see that someone's trying to frame him?

He's the perfect scapegoat. Every time he has a conquest he gloats to anybody who'll listen. Isn't it obvious he probably blabbed that Maudette and Dawn had fang marks on their bodies? The killer heard it, branded them as fangbangers and decided to eliminate them." It was so obvious, was I the only one who could see it?

"How would you know that Jason's not the culprit? You're biased because he's your brother."

I narrowed my eyes, "You know as well as I do that I 'hear' and 'know' things sometimes and this is one of those times." That's as close as I ever got to admitting to my telepathy in public.

"You just don't want to admit he's capable of something so horrendous. But I know, I've always known, that he's able to do something like this," he sneered at me and tried to stand up straighter; pushing out his chest. But all he accomplished was inflating his already round belly like a balloon.

"You know **Detective**, I've always respected you because I thought you did your job conscientiously but now I have my doubts. Is it because I'm just 'Crazy Sookie'," Yes, I used my fingers as air quotes, "that you don't want to give me the time of day? It's just one damn phone call you have to make. You don't even have to get your lazy behind out of your office chair. Or is it maybe because Jason gets all the girls and is not even discreet about it? Oh, or is it because he – a mere Stackhouse – is more popular than you – a Bellefleur, a blue blood of this town - will ever be?" I took a step forward and got right in his face and said in a loud whisper, still loud enough for everyone to hear, "Let me tell you a secret: Your Grandma Caroline threw all the money your family ever possessed right out the window. She can barely pay the taxes for the house." I covered my mouth with my hand in mock horror, "Oh no! How could I possibly know that? It's such a well-kept secret: Only the family knows." I took a few steps back again and could see his face becoming as red as a tomato from anger and shame. But it was not shame over Jason's situation; no, he was ashamed that the big, bad family secret was finally revealed, and in front of his colleagues no less.

"So, which of the three is it? Probably all of them combined, am I right? Maybe you should think about this: prejudice and hate are mortal sins. They will get you a ticket straight to hell!" I looked him square in the eyes for a long moment.

"Mark my words: Drew Marshall is your real killer," I called loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. I looked at every single person with a stern gaze before turning around to exit.

Just a step from the door I turned around one last time and said, like it was an after-thought, "Oh, and one last thing: I know that you already put the case to rest and are just waiting for Jason to make the wrong move. Doesn't Mayor Norris have to okay the funds for this station? What do you think he would do if I told him how this office treats evidence and promising leads in a murder case?" With that I strode out the door. Oh, their slack-jawed expressions were a satisfying treat.

That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you make an exit!

For a second I just stood on the sidewalk and breathed in the humid Louisiana air to get the stink of prejudice out of my nose and tried to keep my mind blank. The moment was short-lived though because both things were impossible to accomplish.

I didn't know what to do next. The police weren't going to be any help. I could still hear their minds and they were thinking the whole scene was one of my 'Crazy Sookie' episodes. They even thought my threat to call the mayor was trivial.

_Well, just wait guys_!

I couldn't call the Shreveport police either because Bon Temps was not in their jurisdiction. At least I didn't think so. But maybe it was worth a shot.

Speaking of Shreveport, maybe I should talk to Eric about it. He may know of a trustworthy detective at the department.

_Sigh_, hadn't I told myself just that morning to stay away from him for a few days? But did I have another option? I didn't think so.

Frustrated and angry I made my way back home.

Nobody was there when I came in through the back door.

Damn, nobody to vent to.

Gran had been gone since the morning with Maxine Fortenberry to prepare for their Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting the next night.

It would be Bill's big night and I was expected to be there because my gran was the one who set up this meeting with him. It would look bad if I didn't show up.

_Shudder_. I could think of better ways to spend my evening than listening to Bill's whiny voice speak but it couldn't be helped. That way I would at least have the opportunity to observe the people and look out for the killer.

Making up my mind about Eric I spent the time until sunset petting and playing with my kitty, Tina. Her favorite toys were table-tennis balls and it was fun to watch her batting and chasing after them through the whole house. At least watching her lightened my bad mood a little bit.

When it was finally time I called the number for Fangtasia: I had looked for it on the internet earlier and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite. You have three seconds to state your business before I hunt you down and drain you dry," Pam's bored voice came over the line.

I had to smile at her dry humor.

"Hello to you too Pam, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Can I speak to Eric, please?"

"He's in his office, I will put you through." The next thing I heard was a click.

_Well, it was nice talking to you too Pam,_ I thought dryly.

A horrible Heavy Metal song came on while I was waiting, I guess it's better than elevator music but not by much. Was it even a song? The only thing I heard was the sound of retching. It made me want to retch as well.

"Hello, my future lover. What can I do for you this fine evening," Eric purred into the phone: It sent electric shocks through my body.

And … _future lover?_ I looked at our old-fashioned phone receiver skeptically for a second. _Did I miss something?_

I decided to ignore it. Better not to add fuel to the fire.

"Well, Mr. Cocky-Pants, firstly you need to change the wait music, it makes me want to kill something, and secondly I wanted to ask if I could come by this evening but now I think it's better to do my business over the phone. It's just a simple question anyway so no need to drive for an hour each way just to ask it."

"Oh, Sookie," was he pouting? "Where is the fun in that? If you don't have phone sex in mind I would rather meet in person."

_Urgh!_ Why did he have to say that? Cookie had already started waking up when she heard his voice. When she heard 'that' word she started purring. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not in the mood to hear your sexual innuendos."

_Oh but I am,_ Cookie purred.

_Shut up!_

"This is a business call! No sexual vampire weirdness tonight," I barked.

"My, my Ms. Stackhouse, I think you need to get laid. Relieve some … **tension**. I can help you with that!" His tone was low and seductive.

_Arrgh!_ What was it with him tonight? I really liked his snarky self but this really topped it all.

"But you won't," _tonight_, I thought, "I will be there in an hour. No funny business," I growled and hung up.

My temper was back in full force and I stomped to my room to change clothes. The nerve of him! No colorful dress this time, he hadn't earned it.

After throwing on some dark jeans, a white shirt and a purple cardigan, I wrote a note to Gran and then hopped into my old, beat-up car and made my way back to Shreveport.


	6. Chapter 6

It's Saturday and that means time for a new chapter!

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Have a good weekend and enjoy!

**Chapter 6:**

I was spooked out of my mind when I finally arrived at the bar. I had a sense of déjà-vu again but this time I had that prickly feeling which made me think – no, I **knew** – that someone had been following me.

There had been headlights behind me ever since I'd turned onto the main road in Bon Temps. I couldn't see the driver or even the make of the car, the distance was too great to identify it. Its speed was perfectly adjusted to mine but when I'd cast out my mental net he was always just out of range.

It was creepy.

I got nothing … except the void that was following me off to the right side of the road as well. I knew it was Bill: His void already felt familiar to me.

Shit!

I should have done the same thing as the day before: leave when the sun had still been in the sky. I could have smacked myself for not thinking of it sooner.

I'd thought about some senseless driving through and around the city but what if one – or both – of them decided, for whatever reason, to somehow stop my car? I wouldn't be able to defend myself – other than run – and I probably wouldn't even know where I was.

No, it was better to drive directly to Fangtasia. It was familiar to me and if push came to shove there were one or two people who could help me.

Finally the neon red sign over the front entrance of Fangtasia came into view. I heaved a sigh of relief while still trying to ovserve the car behind me: I couldn't see it anymore because there was too much traffic but I knew it was still there, just out of sight.

The only parking spots available were away from the building and near the street, much to my dismay. I reversed into a parking space so I could make a fast exit if I needed to.

My heart was beating fast as I imagined worst case scenarios. _Stop it, Sookie. This is a public place, too many people. Nothing will happen!_

_You're becoming paranoid_, I admonished myself.

'_Yeah, but paranoia doesn't mean they aren't out to get you, you know',_ an inner voice spoke back to me. I was too spooked to care that something in me actually responded to my thoughts at the moment.

Just as I was about to step out of the car there was a whispering on the air, directly into my ear, like the wind refracted on the corner of a building. Maybe that's what made me pause and look in the rear view mirror one last time. Without it, I would probably have missed the slow moving truck on the street behind me.

A chill went through my body. _That's him!_

As fast as I could I jumped out of my car and ran to the median strip which was separating the parking lot from the street to try to get a glimpse of the driver.

_Come on you bastard, show yourself!_

I let my mental shields slip and focused them on the driver. What I heard and felt almost made me recoil in fear: darkness, so much darkness, like a black abyss or a black hole where there was no hope of escape; an arctic cold that made me shiver and then a shadowy figure: no face or any other features, just a shape that was cloaked in darkness.

I finally let his mind go, otherwise I probably would have gotten frostbite on my brain from the cold feeling of touching him mentally.

The driver must have figured out that I had seen him because he suddenly screeched his tires as he accelerated and turned off to the left into a side-street.

I got nothing – again.

_Damn it all to hell! That would have been the best opportunity to identify him._

Still spooked I rubbed my forehead out of sheer frustration before making my way to the bar.

Obscenities were thrown my way when I walked past the queue to the head of the line again. I would have loved nothing more than to flip them the bird but I restrained myself.

Barely.

The bouncer took in my outfit with a sneer and I gave her a cold stare back, not saying anything: I was in no mood. She let me through regardless. Eric must have told her I was coming.

The bar scene had not changed since the last time, not that I expected it to, but this time the music was too loud and I had problems keeping my shields up. My nerves were running riot and wreaking havoc with my concentration.

Eric was not in his booth and I couldn't see him anywhere else in the room so I made my way through the bar to the back hallway fast enough to avoid a headache and only stopped for a moment to knock on Eric's office door.

"Enter," he called.

_Please_, I admonished him in my head and did as I was told.

Closing the door behind me I leaned against it with my back and head. I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. Ironically I felt safer in the lion's den than anywhere else right then.

One look at me and Eric was out of his seat and standing directly in front of me vampire fast. Taking in my appearance from head to toe, "What has happened," he asked.

Did I really look that frazzled?

Should I tell him the truth? Would he think I was nuts? But he would be able to tell that I was lying anyway and I was sure that he would probe me until he heard what he wanted to hear.

So I opted for the truth and took a deep breath, "Someone followed me," I said shakily.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "Who?"

I flinched at his sharp tone and gulped. I wasn't afraid of him, it was the situation and what it could mean that had me on edge. "Bill for one," I said.

His eyebrows furrowed, "How do you know?"

I couldn't help it: I rolled my eyes. What is this? An interrogation? I was getting impatient but I explained any way, "Because there was a void off to the side of the road and it was following me at the same speed that I was driving. And I knew it was Bill because his void felt familiar to me."

"Explain," he ordered.

_Urgh! Explain! Sit! Heel! Bark!_

My eyes narrowed into slits, "I'm not a damn dog," I growled. He could make me see red with just a few words. "I would explain if you didn't interrupt me all the time. And you could have asked nicely, like 'please explain this, Sookie'. Is that so hard?" My eyes were shooting daggers at him before I stepped around him to stand in the middle of the office: I needed space.

It probably wasn't such a good idea to speak to an old – or any other - vampire in such a way but I was … angry.

At everything.

I had a feeling that I was losing control of my own life; that it was no longer in my hands. It was not a good feeling, not at all.

I rolled my neck from one side to the other and squared my shoulders, "I don't really know how to describe it. The voids I feel where your minds should be can be small or big. I think it has something to do with your age. I've detected it a few times now. Your void is pretty big," _but not as big as your ego_, I thought, "and it feels … heavy, like all the history and memories stored in there are weighing it down. Bill's, on the other hand, is really small compared to yours. He's around 150 years old, right? So he couldn't have experienced as much as you. I can distinguish between them the more I'm around them. It's like recognizing someone by their voice."

"Fascinating," he said pensively and looked at me like I was his new pet project. I had this mental image of me lying in a petri dish under his microscope. I drove those thoughts away, too distracting and too creepy.

_Hmm, it depends on what part of his anatomy you have in mind for his microscope,_ Cookie purred

Electric shocks went through my body.

_Phew, was it getting hot in there?_ Thanks to Cookie and her loose mouth I would have that mental image for the rest of the night.

Eric's gaze became predatory as his nostrils flared. He gave me a knowing smirk, "Sookie," he purred, "What were you thinking about just now?"

I gulped and couldn't help but squirm. "Nothing," I squeaked. _Focus, Sookie! _I needed a distraction. "I told you, no funny business, mister. I'm so not in the mood after what I had to deal with today!"

"You're no fun," he complained.

Oh, there it was: Eric Northman, Viking sex god and badass vampire sheriff was pouting! Yes, you heard right; and with the whole package – puppy dog eyes and bottom lip sticking out!

My heart started to flutter. I wanted to reach out, pet him and make his booboo go away.

Cookie had a similar reaction: She stuck out her behind and purred, _"Here, kitty, kitty!"_

_Damn! _

_FOCUS!_

Where was I? Oh yeah, "I think the killer followed me as well."

Now that really got his attention. All mirth and playfulness was gone in an instant, "The killer of fangbangers? The reason you came to Fangtasia with Bill in the first place?"

I nodded, "Yes. I can't really be sure; he was too far away for me to recognize anything but the truck followed me from the moment I turned onto Bon Temps main road. I know it was the same vehicle the whole time.

Just as I turned into the bar's parking lot I could see in the rear view mirror that it was a dark pick-up truck similar to my brother's. He was gone too fast for me to recognize anything else."

"But it wasn't your brother's?"

I thought about that for a second, "No," I shook my head thoughtfully, "it didn't have the pink and aqua flames on the sides. Why would he target me anyway? I've only ever been seen with Bill the night we met and once or twice since then but never in an intimate way and I don't have fang marks on me either. Why would he follow me now?" I started pacing around the room and tried to think of reasonable explanations.

"Did you talk to someone about it or did you go somewhere that would warrant him thinking you're a threat?"

The scales fell from my eyes. I could have smacked myself. _You are a smart woman, Sookie, but sometimes you can also be really dumb_, I chided myself.

"I went to the Sheriff's office today," I answered and told him about the idea that maybe it wasn't the killer's first murders and about the article I'd found. "But I couldn't find a picture of this Drew Marshall anywhere. It's like he's a ghost. I'm pretty sure he's hiding out in Bon Temps and that I know him so I went to the Sheriff's department earlier to tell them what I'd found out but they didn't want to hear it. It was like they let it go in one ear and out the other. They thought it was only 'Crazy Sookie' prattling on about what the voices in her head told her."

Eric's face became eerily still at the reference to 'Crazy Sookie, "What?" He hissed and his fangs snapped down.

"Oh, you don't know that? In Bon Temps I'm 'Crazy Sookie'. They know I'm different somehow and that I 'know' things but they don't understand it so in their scared little minds it's better to brand me as crazy." I shrugged and gave him a strained smile.

"Idiots," he muttered. "I would really like to kill them all!"

"Don't waste your time. Once a rumor takes root it's like a weed: You can pull it out all you want but it will return every time," I gave him a sad smile.

He seemed to ponder that, "Well said, Ms. Stackhouse. How did you find out about this Drew Marshall?"

I turned my head to the side in confusion and furrowed my eyebrows, "I searched online and made a few phone calls to different newspapers. Why?"

"Phone calls," Eric laughed humorlessly, "I have had the best investigators on my payroll working exclusively on the murders since you brought them to my attention two nights ago and not once did they mention a Drew Marshall. They've been working on it day and night ever since and you discovered it in what, two or three hours, just by making a few phone calls and surfing on the internet. I pay them a lot of money and it turns out they're completely incompetent."

Yeah, I could sympathize with that. I would be angry as well if they had wasted my money. Eric was the sheriff; he needed the information to run his area efficiently or he would look bad.

And … wait a second. Did he just say that he had hired investigators for the murders? "I had the impression that you didn't care who killed those girls." I blushed when the words tumbled out of my mouth. Damn! I was speaking before thinking again. That had gotten me into more trouble in my life…

Eric raised his famous eyebrow and answered in a light, chiding tone, "Just because I don't look like I care, doesn't mean it's true. We may not have the same reasons for it but I still want to have this solved as much as you do. Even if they were fangbangers, vampires are involved whether I want them to be or not. And I care about anything vampire related that happens in my area."

I was thankful that he did not just lecture me like Bill would have done. I was still embarrassed because I'd spoken before really thinking about it. It was a characteristic I wasn't very proud of.

So I bit the bullet and apologized, "I'm sorry for assuming. I didn't mean to offend you. I hate it when other people do it to me and here I am doing the same thing."

Eric inclined his head with a small smile, "Apology accepted. I will contact you when I find this Drew Marshall. I presume that's why you wanted to talk to me tonight?"

I nodded in confirmation, relieved at the change of subject, "I thought you may know somebody from the Shreveport PD, or someone else in law enforcement, who could give you the information."

Eric inclined his head. "Give me your cellphone number, my investigators couldn't find that out either. That way I can send you the picture directly to your phone."

I dropped my head in embarrassment and murmured too low for any human to hear, "I don't have one."

Eric craned his neck and cupped his hand behind one ear, "What was that?"

I huffed in exasperation and rolled my eyes, "I said, I don't have one." My cheeks were burning.

He blinked in real surprise, "You have internet but not a cellphone?"

My lips moved into a thin line, "I can barely afford the internet. I had to save the money for it for a long time: An additional phone was too much. Being online was a necessary evil for my education; otherwise I wouldn't even have that."

Eric just shook his head. "Then I will give you one."

My head snapped up in fury, "What? Why?"

But he just held his hand up as I narrowed my eyes. Pff, as if that would stop me. He was not going to buy me a damn phone just because I didn't have one.

Just as I was about to open my mouth he interrupted me, "I need to talk to you about something as well. I've been thinking about the situation with Bill and the Queen: We can benefit from each other if I have you on my payroll."

I was intrigued but a little apprehensive as well, "What do you mean by that? Like a contract? And what does that have to do with a phone?"

"Correct. If you were my telepath and bound by contract it would give us some time to think about other precautions with the queen. It is just a matter of time before Bill reports his complications with you to Sophie-Anne."

I gulped. "Do you think she would act rashly then? Like take me by force or something? Can she even do that?" I asked, a little panicked.

"I've thought about it. Something seems fishy. I've known Sophie-Anne for a long time and she can be childish, selfish and is known for her ruthlessness: She wouldn't be queen otherwise. Nevertheless, she is a fair queen. For all that, I've never heard that she has taken someone against their will. It's like an unspoken rule for her."

"So she wouldn't just pack me up and ship me to New Orleans? But why did Bill go to so much trouble to try and bind me to him?

"When you and I talked about blood ties and bonds it sounded to me like he would have become irresistible to me, if it had worked. I would have probably done anything for him then."

"That's the part that has me thinking he has ulterior motives. Sophie-Anne would never have ordered Bill to bind you to him at all costs. She would have told him to see if the rumors were true and see how you felt about vampires. She would have then offered you something that would have been hard to decline, most likely a contract."

I nodded pensively. But something was still bugging me, "Why did she order Bill and not you? I live in the area where **you** are sheriff."

"That's probably the influence of her child and second in command, André. He is her oldest and most loyal child. For some reason I'm not aware of yet he must have convinced her not to include me in this. She never would have done so otherwise. André might be a sadist but even he would not want to piss off the queen's most trusted asset. Even though Bill's her procurer, there must be a specific reason to send **him,** of all vampires, to my area. I need to contact my spies and get to the bottom of it."

_The queen's child is a sadist? Lovely!_ "This André sounds like a guy I definitely don't want to meet."

"Yes, he is the kind of vampire I've warned you about. But should you ever meet him: **never ever** be alone with him."

A shudder went through my body at that. I definitely would take that warning to heart.

"So, you were talking about a contract earlier?"

"Yes, I already have one drawn up but it's more like a rough draft and I would like for you to read it over. The next time we meet we will negotiate changes and additions to both our satisfaction. There also needs to be a lawyer present." He went to his desk and handed me a stack of paper.

Great. More things to think about. It was getting overwhelming really fast; I put it in my purse. "What does this contract entail and what would I have to do to fulfill it?"

"You would be my new 'area investigator and human relations liaison' since it would not be wise to officially state you as a telepath. Your official title would be Human Relations Liaison but I think I will add investigator to the contract as well. Both titles will give you more room to expand your talents. One of those talents is being able to think outside the box and, therefore, being good at research as we discovered earlier. You would be paid $500 to $1000 per hour depending on the situation." My eyes almost popped out of my head and my mouth dropped open. _Holy shit!_ "The hours you would work per week would depend on how much I send your way. I would need to contact you on short notice, hence the cellphone."

Okay, I could work with that if it was business related. "You would have health insurance and you would not need to give up on your education; I would even support it more if you would like. You would need a high speed notebook computer with the fastest internet access available, also provided by me.

"Any work requests from other parties will need to be approved by me but you will have the final right of refusal. As your manager I will get the standard fee of 15% of your earnings. Those are the highlights; everything else is standard nonsense such as Holidays and vacation times."

My head was swimming. It didn't sound too bad though. On the contrary, it was an offer which was hard to resist. And as he said, it would give me an opportunity to expand my talents and gain experience in the process. I rubbed my forehead while saying, "And by signing this contract you think it would get the Queen off my back?"

"Highly likely, yes. If I called her and told her I had obtained a telepath by contract I think she would be satisfied. As I said, she would never want to piss me off. And I would be very angry if she tried something with you despite the contract. You would be claimed by the state of Louisiana though and therefore I would need to 'lend' you to her and eventually to a few other states from time to time but I would always guarantee your safety."

I took a deep breath, "Alright. I will look it over and will get back to you in the next few days."

Eric nodded and seemed pensive for a moment before he spoke again, "Since you so eloquently outshone my investigators, let me pay you for your investigation regarding the Bon Temps killer. You seemed to have almost solved this case anyway…"

I tried to interrupt him to protest but he seemed to anticipate my move. "Let's use this as your trial for the job I offered you. If you accept the contract – and I would highly recommend it – I would not need to give you something else to prove your worth as a trial would have been a standard in an employee contract. We could move onto bigger and more important things right from the beginning."

I knew he was right and we both knew that I would most likely take the job and sign the contract. If he really paid me that much I could quit working at Merlotte's sooner than I thought. Even if it made me sad to leave Sam hanging that way I was also relieved to get out of that damn town, even if it was only part time. I was getting ahead of myself though because I would only think about these things when the deal was done.

I took a step towards the door but then a thought popped into my head and I asked hopefully, "What about Bill? Would he leave me alone after you've talked to the queen?"

"That is entirely up to her. I heard through the grapevine that he applied for area investigator and Area 5 doesn't have a vampire investigator yet. So no, I don't think so. In fact, that odds are you would end up working with him at least occasionally"

Urgh! And my hope went right down the drain. Great! But maybe after the scene the night before he would think twice before approaching me. Just thinking about that had me grinning like a maniac, "Speaking of Bill, you will never guess what happened last night when I got home."

He looked at me curiously and nodded for me to go on. As I spoke his expression turned to amusement until neither of us could hold it in any longer; we burst out laughing. "I swear to you, the bastard actually turned green. It was definitely a Kodak moment. Served him right!"

Between bouts of laughter I had to explain what a Kodak moment was. Apparently Eric didn't watch much television, ever, since 'Kodak Moment' has been their tagline since at least 1976, if not longer.

It took a while before we could breathe regularly again - well at least me since he didn't really need to breathe.

"I will make sure that he will never hear the end of it," Eric said, his voice full of mirth.

He was just wiping away the red tears staining his cheeks when Pam suddenly flung the door open, looking like she was ready to kill somebody, "Fuck a zombie! If she calls me a snarky brat one more time I'm going to poke out my eyes with a stiletto!"

I had to fight not to burst out laughing again. _Fuck a zombie_! I'll have to remember that!

"Who is it," Eric demanded.

"Some old hag with the audacity to call twice in five minutes. She wanted to talk to the owner. Of course I hung up on her.

"What do you have to do with old, wrinkly humans anyway? But then she had the nerve to call again and demanded to be put through to you or Sookie."

Surprised, I sucked in air through my teeth and rudely snatched the phone from Pam's hand: She looked at me like I had grown three heads.

Why would Gran be calling Fangtasia at all, let alone this late at night?

"Gran," I said as soon as I held the phone to my ear.

"Oh thank God, Sookie." Her voice sounded weak despite the angry tone. "Tell that unfriendly woman if I ever meet her face to face I will give her a come to Jesus she won't likely forget."

I had to snicker at that. That I wanted to see, "Oh, I will Gran." I looked at Pam. She had narrowed her eyes to slits and bared her fangs into a hiss. I snickered some more. "I definitely will. But what's going on? I was about to leave and going to be home in about an hour."

But the mirth got stuck in my throat as she answered, "Oh Sookie, something terrible happened." My heart dropped to my feet. _No!_ "I just came home from Maxine's and saw that someone broke into the house. The kitchen … your cat … there's so much blood," she cried breathlessly. I could hear her gasping for air.

_Shit!_

I got very concerned all of a sudden. My grandmother was not young anymore and her voice was thin. I could tell that she was in shock; it was not good for her health.

I tried to stay calm for her sake – although I was pretty shaken up myself - so she would not panic, "Gran, calm down, take deep breaths. Did you call the sheriff's office?"

"No, I was going to do that next."

"Yes, please do that now. I'm already on my way, okay? I will be home as soon as I can."

"Alright. Drive carefully," she said and hung up.

I needed a second to get myself back together so I could think rationally. With shaky hands I hastily gave the phone back to Pam while glaring daggers at her. I knew it was not her fault that something happened to Tina but she added to my gran's stress with her unreasonable self.

"Sookie…," Eric began.

But I cut him off by calling, "I need to go," while running out the door as fast as I could.

_Damn, damn, damn! Why did I come here in the first place? I should have stayed home. But no, I had to be an hour away while Gran was going through god knows what._

I blindly ran in the direction of the main bar but I wasn't more than a few steps from the office when I was grabbed from behind.

I made a surprised sound as an arm wrapped around my chest and my feet lost their hold on the floor. Then I was carried out the back entrance, vampire speed.

My head was spinning. I knew it was Eric - I could feel it - but I still protested against his hold on me, "Eric, I need to leave. My car is in the other direction."

"You are in no condition to drive. I will," He said into my ear. I could feel his lips against my skin and in any other circumstance I would have found it highly erotic but my nerves were too raw and I was too anxious to get home to my grandmother.

"But I need my car. I have to work the lunch shift tomorrow."

"It will be in your driveway before dawn," He said as if it was nothing.

I knew he was right; I was too upset to drive and given the car he was walking towards we would be faster as well. Therefore I resigned myself to my fate and let him bundle me into the passenger seat of his cherry red Corvette.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello my lovely Readers!

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Have a good weekend!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 7:**

The first ten minutes of the drive were silent. I was too preoccupied with praying to stay alive while desperately clinging to the chicken grips above the door and applying my foot to the imaginary brake pedal.

Why?

Because Eric was driving like a maniac!

That's why!

He was going at least twice the posted speed limit but I didn't say anything. I couldn't! I was concentrating on sucking air into my lungs while inertia pressed me into the seat.

Somehow I was grateful though – in a fucked up kind of way - because I didn't even think for one second about what was waiting for me at home.

Eric gave me sidelong glances once in a while and his lips formed into a small smirk.

Was he amused that I was freaked out of my mind?

Asshole!

"Relax, there's no need to be afraid. I will not crash us. My vampire senses will not allow it. For as long as there have been cars I have never crashed one, not even a small dent."

Hah, easier said than done. I couldn't even see the trees and fields we were passing: It was all a blur. My little human mind couldn't think of anything else other than: _too fast, too fast. We're going to crash!_

Speaking of human, "Just because you have vampire reflexes doesn't mean the other drivers do. I would even say 99% of them are human and don't forget: We live in deer country and it's the middle of the fucking night. You're going so fast they wouldn't be able to see us. They could pull out at the shittiest of moments or an animal could run onto the street. You won't be able to react fast enough to evade it quickly. We could crash or overturn. Jesus Christ," I exclaimed as he went barreling around a hairpin turn.

His eyebrow rose into his hairline, "You said you need to get back to your grandmother as fast as possible."

_Oh, now this is my fault?_

My nostrils flared in rage.

I couldn't say anything. Instead, I just glared at him.

For several moments nothing happened, he just smirked at me. Then finally – finally – he let up on the accelerator.

Not by much though.

I took a deep breath and bit my tongue in order to not say anything. At least I could make out the trees and other things along the road once again.

He appraised me with a calculating look and I knew nothing good would come out of his mouth next, "You know, there's one thing I'm curious about: Why didn't you ask your shifter boss for help with finding the murderer?"

I blinked.

_Huh? _

I eyed him, befuddled, "Shifter boss? What's that?"

Shifter … the word sounded familiar but I couldn't really explain it. I mean, I knew what it meant, obviously, but I didn't understand the connection. Something in me seemed to recognize the word though but I couldn't get access to it. There was an invisible brick wall between me and the … memory? Yes, it felt like I wanted to remember something but couldn't.

He turned his head around to look at me in surprise before he turned to the road again. "You don't know what you're working for?"

**_What_**_I'm working for,_ I thought, still confused. My brows furrowed. _Damn, _my brain felt like molasses. As it finally clicked, I asked in surprise, "Sam?" And he didn't answer my question – again.

"Yes, the shifter!" He said innocently.

Too innocently.

And when I observed him closely his look equaled his tone. I knew it was fake.

I smelled a rat and its name was Eric! I narrowed my eyes at him, "That halo you're trying to polish is rusted, not tarnished Eric, so give it up. You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Eric said nothing, just smiled like the devil.

Bastard!

I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest and stared straight out the window, not at the asshole.

The moment he pointed it out to me I remembered that I had always had the feeling that Sam was more than he seemed to be but I had brushed it aside. But right then … again, I could not get access to those memories. It was like I reached out with my hand but only brushed it with my fingertips without being able to grasp it yet. It was like trying to catch the ring on the Merry-go-Round: It was there, I could touch it but I couldn't wrap my fingers around it.

My brain started working though. Question after question popped into my head and I started squirming while trying to hold them in.

_I will not ask! No way in hell! What right did he have to rat someone out like that? If it was such a well-kept secret - like I had a feeling it was - it should come from Sam himself. So no, I will not ask!_

After two tortuous minutes of trying not to ask I couldn't stand it anymore. Deflated, I finally asked, "Okay, I give. What's a shifter?"

His smile suddenly had an uncanny resemblance to 'The Grinch'.

* * *

><p>Between Eric's driving like a lunatic - or maybe he was thinking of trying out for the Indy 500 - and his explanation about Shifters and Werewolves, or Weres for short, the drive between Shreveport and Bon Temps went by quickly.<p>

I was fascinated and listened with rapt attention. I couldn't believe they were real but if I was honest with myself I was not really surprised. Deep down I had always known. Why should vampires be the only myth turned reality out there? And once again I had this strange feeling of a buried memory. What the hell was happening to me? Where was this coming from all of a sudden? It seemed like the night was getting weirder and weirder. In addition to talking to Eric and the call from my grandmother there had been this voice responding to my inner monologues and now I had these odd feelings of memories bubbling to the surface that were not my own.

My confusion was short lived though. As I directed him onto Hummingbird Road I could see blue emergency lights flashing between the trees.

My bad feeling came back full force and it turned into dread as we parked behind police cars and an ambulance as well.

_Fuck!_

Did something happen to Gran?

The thought hadn't even fully formed in my mind before I jumped out of the car and ran to the front door of the house which was wide open.

Once again I was stopped by Eric before I even crossed the threshold. I gave him an incredulous stare but he whispered into my ear, "You have to invite me in."

Oh! I'd completely forgotten about that.

"Sorry, come in, Eric," I said and made my way through the house. I went to the kitchen first because that's where most of the people were.

But I stopped short in the doorway when I saw what everyone else as looking at: There was blood.

Everywhere!

The floor, the walls and even the ceiling was splattered with it.

And then I saw why. My hand flew up to my mouth and I let out a strangled sob. My cat had been brutally murdered, slaughtered even, and her broken body was hanging from the ceiling fan which must have been turned on high so her blood would splatter everywhere.

It was a horrible sight!

But that was not the worst of it: the once white wall over the sink – and opposite me - was smeared with bloody red letters saying 'You're next, fangbanger!'

I stared, wide-eyed and paralyzed, at the scene in front of me, not even close to comprehending the situation.

Everyone had turned around when they heard me. Andy even stepped in front of me and tried to get my attention but I didn't hear him.

I was only shaken out of my numbness when cold hands touched my shoulders.

And then I remembered: Gran!

How could I have forgotten? My eyes widened, "Where's Gran," I asked, panicky all of a sudden.

"She's in the living room," Eric said, already turning me in that direction.

The way I found her made my blood run cold. She was lying on the couch with an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. Her skin was pale and a paramedic was kneeling next to her on the floor taking her blood pressure.

"Gran," I said when I arrived next to her: I took her hand when the paramedic had finished and taken a step back.

"Sookie, thank god you're okay," she said, her voice a little muffled from the mask.

I shook my head even before she finished and replied, "Why wouldn't I be? It's you I'm worried about." I gave the man next to me a questioning look.

"She has gone into shock. Her blood pressure is too low and I'm concerned about her heart. It would be better to take her to a hospital so these things can be monitored but she declines."

I whipped my head around, "But Gran, you should get checked out."

"No, all I need is a good night's sleep and I'll be right as rain," she explained stubbornly.

But I knew her well enough by then to know that wasn't the only reason. Yes, she had always hated hospitals but it wasn't worth throwing away her health. "If it's about the cost, I will handle it somehow," I had a hunch that that was the real reason for her saying no. We didn't have the money to pay for the tests they would very likely want to do there. If I signed the contract though we wouldn't need to worry about that anymore. The money I would earn working for Eric would make everything so much easier. Maybe I could buy her medical insurance. It would probably be expensive as hell but Gran was worth it.

"Sookie, I'm not going and that's final. I'll be okay," She laid her wrinkly hand on my cheek.

I sighed. Stubborn old woman! At least I knew where I got it from. "I'm so sorry about this. I should have stayed home. I should have been the one who discovered this instead of you."

Gran just shook her head, "There's nothing to be sorry for. You're doing the right thing by trying to help your brother," she soothed me, "And if that help means using less traditional means then so be it." She pointed with her head to a point behind me so I knew she meant Eric: He was standing behind me, observing the scene silently.

The paramedic took that as his cue to make an exit but not before making her sign a waiver that she didn't wish to follow his recommendations by going to the hospital. He also told her to take it easy. Hah, he didn't know my grandmother but maybe I could guilt her into making a doctor's appointment.

That's exactly what I did but as I said, she was stubborn, "I don't need a doctor to know that I'm getting old."

"But Gran, at least do it for Jason and me. We worry about you."

After a moment of thought she finally relented, "Alright, I will call the day after tomorrow."

My eyes narrowed. Was she procrastinating? "Why not tomorrow?"

"Because it's the day of the meeting where our dear Mr. Compton makes his grand speech," _Urgh, don't remind me._ "We still have too much to do for me to go to the doctor. Now help me up so I can meet our guest properly."

My lips turned into a thin line. I was not satisfied with her reasoning but apparently she had made up her mind.

I helped Gran into a more upright position and propped some pillows behind her back to make it more comfortable for her. When she was finally satisfied and comfortable she looked at me expectantly.

_Oh yeah, right_. "Gran, this is Eric Northman, owner of Fangtasia. Eric, meet my grandmother Adele Stackhouse."

Eric stepped around me and took her right hand to give a kiss to her knuckles. I was impressed. "It's nice to meet you Ma'am but I had hoped to meet you under better circumstances."

Charmer!

"Likewise Mr. Northman." She scrutinized him from head to toe, "You're quite the looker. I've already heard a lot about you and I was curious to meet you." I blushed crimson. Did she have to say it quite like that?

She turned her head towards me and said, trying to sound oh so innocent, "My dear, I'm quite thirsty. Could you bring me a glass of water please?"

I narrowed my eyes at her: I had not missed the mischievous glint in her eyes. She was sending me away so she could talk to Eric alone, or at least as alone as it would get with a house full of people. That could be good or bad so I was hesitant to leave.

Nevertheless I complied. The kitchen was out of the question so I went to her bathroom and rinsed out the cup that she always used when she brushed her teeth.

Returning as fast as I could I gave her the cup and was about to say that she should go to bed when I was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I turned around and saw Andy standing awkwardly in the doorway.

I groaned to myself. Andy and all his questions were the last thing I wanted to deal with right then. I stood up and took a few steps towards him, "What happened here? How did the burglar get in," I asked. I wanted to get that out of the way before we moved to the probably never ending interrogation.

"He or she probably had a key. We didn't find any traces of anyone breaking in. Does anyone else except you and your grandmother have a key to the house?"

_The killer has a __**key**__ to my house?_ If I wasn't already scared by the whole situation, I was definitely freaked out of my mind right then!

"Other than Jason, no," my voice was a little shaky and I took a deep breath to calm down.

"Have you or the other family members misplaced your keys in the last couple of weeks?"

I looked over at Gran and she shook her head, "No, never. I can't speak for Jason though. You would have to ask him yourself."

My shields had slipped a little while before and what I heard in his head at that moment was disgusting. He was disappointed because Jason had an alibi for that night. _Thank god_, I thought. But he was still firmly convinced that my brother was the guilty party.

What they found in the kitchen was probably someone who thought it would be funny to scare us as they had. I could barely stop myself from slapping him.

Andy gave the room - and the people in it - a once over, "Ms. Stackhouse, I need to ask you some more questions," he said while eying Eric suspiciously.

"Then ask away," I said. I was already irritated and having him there just made the situation worse as far as I was concerned.

He shifted from one foot to the other while looking at me haughtily. "Privately."

"No, this is as private as you'll get." I'd had enough of the bull shit.

He sucked air into his lungs sharply while getting red with anger, "Ms. Stackhouse, I think this is more important than a little family t…," he started but I interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Detective Bellefleur, this is our home. You **will** respect us and not order us around. My gran and I are both very tired and I would like to get her into bed as fast as possible. So ask your questions **now**," I said forcefully. Gran didn't admonish me so she apparently agreed with me which was a small miracle in itself.

His lips turned into a thin line but he said nothing against it, "When did you leave the house?"

"About half an hour after sunset, so around 8:30 pm."

"And where have you been the last two and a half hours?" He looked down at his notepad the whole time like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"I was in Shreveport," I answered.

"Doing what exactly?" He eyed Eric in a way that said he had a good idea of what, or rather who, I was doing.

"Your job," I said dryly and crossed my arms over my chest while answering.

"Ms. Stackhouse, I told you…"

"I know what you said. But did you even do anything? Did you make the one phone call I suggested?" I got a quick glimpse of his thoughts and what I saw made me snort to myself. I should have known. "No, you didn't. You went to Merlotte's while still being on duty, am I right?" The sudden paleness around his nose said everything.

Then his mind became a jumbled mess: his thoughts were turning over rapidly. What the hell was that? There were people gathering around him and he seemed to be the center of attention while he was telling some tale. I couldn't catch what he was talking about because he seemed to focus on me again at the wrong moment. Damn, I needed to get to the bottom of that. His memories seemed very suspicious.

I brushed it aside and focused on the here and now. "And while you were doing all that, the killer followed me to Shreveport."

There, swallow that!

Andy's eyebrows rose in surprise and skepticism, "So you say." He scribbled something on his pad, "So, how do you know that the … **killer** followed you?"

The way he said it made my eyes narrow in anger. I knew he was mocking me but I didn't let it get to me, I knew what I saw. "Because I'm not blind, Detective." The sarcasm I put into that one word should have been enough for him to get a clue. Unfortunately Andy Bellefleur is dimmer even than Jason on his worst day!

"He followed me from where I turned onto the main street, onto the highway and all the way to Fangtasia. He always kept the same distance between us and went the same speed I did. When I parked at Fangtasia I saw a dark pick-up truck driving by slowly. I ran to the street to try and get a glimpse of him but he sped up too quickly and turned off into a side street."

"Fangtasia? You went to that vampire bar?" He asked incredulously and with a hint of disgust.

_Oh, I would be very careful with your remarks, buddy_. And of course Fangtasia was the only thing he heard or understood in what I had just said. "Are you even hearing what I'm saying, Detective? What I do in my free time and where I go is none of your business."

His nostrils were flaring in anger, "So, about **your killer**: What did he look like? What was he wearing?"

_My killer?_ "I don't know."

"You don't know. Uh huh. Did you even see him?"

"No. I only saw a dark pick-up truck similar to Jason's but minus the flames on the sides."

"Are you sure it wasn't Jason's truck?"

"Positive. I could see the complete broadside of the truck: There were no pink and aqua flames anywhere. And I don't think Jason scraped them off just to follow me."

"So you didn't see anything other than a suspiciously slow moving vehicle."

"I know what I saw, Detective, and if you were doing your job accordingly we would already know who it is!"

Not surprisingly he ignored my jab, much to my disgust, "You said you went to Fangtasia. What were you doing there?"

"Not that it's any of your business but as I said, I was doing your job: I asked for help."

Again he ignored me. _What the hell?_ "Can someone verify that you were there?"

I was about to answer when Eric's voice came from behind me, "Yes, I can and at least my two business partners and the bouncer at the door saw her as well."

"And you are?" Andy asked while looking him over from head to toe. He then looked back up in a haughty kind of way.

Eric took a step forward so he was standing next to me, "Eric Northman. I'm the owner of Fangtasia." He smiled, showing a hint of fang, as he took out his wallet and handed Andy a business card.

Andy swallowed hard and paled even more than before as he took the card. "So you're a…"

"Vampire. Correct," he said and studied Andy very closely, much like a scientist would examine an exceptionally beautiful specimen under the microscope.

Andy must have interpreted the look the same way because his notepad started shaking ever so slightly.

I had to bite my lip to stop the smile that wanted to form.

"Can…," he had to clear his throat, "can you tell me what relations you have with Ms. Stackhouse?"

Eric cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow, "I don't think Ms. Stackhouse's relations with me or anybody else is relevant for the purposes of this **investigation** but if you **really** must know: like Ms. Stackhouse said, she came to me to ask for help. I granted it of course as anything vampire related **is** my business."

"What? You're the vampire police or something," Andy asked, chuckling nervously.

_Oh, if you only knew!_

I put my hand over my mouth to keep the smirk on my lips from showing as Eric said, "I'm the vampire sheriff of the northern part of Louisiana, including Bon Temps; so yes, it is my business." My eyes widened and I looked up at him in surprise. I thought the vampire hierarchy was a well-kept secret? And why would he tell Andy of all people? "And to get ahead of your questions; she came to me tonight to let me know that she had found something of great importance which was related to the murders happening in this town.

"She told me that someone by the name of Drew Marshall has likely killed the same way as your Bon Temps killer and she suspects that he has moved here. I found that quite interesting because she seemed to be the only one to connect the dots."

"And you believe her," Andy said incredulously. _She's crazy_, I heard him thinking.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Of course. She's very observant and good at thinking outside the box. She seems much more fitting to be an investigator than somebody else we know."

_Ha, take that!_ I had to fight a grin at Eric's little jab at Mr. I'm-better-than-you.

Eric gave him a fierce stare before he wrapped his right arm loosely around my shoulders.

Andy's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and he was starting to sweat.

It was quite comical and I almost laughed out loud.

Eric's nostrils flared and he made a humming noise, "A little advice Detective Bellefleur: never show fear in front of a vampire. You could be mistaken as dinner!" He smiled a toothy – and sharp – smile.

Andy gasped, took a step back and started to move his hand to his throat but then thought better of it and loosened his tie instead.

Eric continued when it became clear that Andy wasn't going to say anything else, "I think that's enough for the night. As you can see Mrs. Stackhouse doesn't feel well. She's not fit to have so many people in the house at the moment. You will resolve this case to the best of your abilities and as quickly as possible. We don't want anything to happen to the Stackhouse Ladies; am I correct, Detective?"

Andy fumbled with his tie again and tried to clear his throat, quite unsuccessfully. He was sweating bullets by now. "Of course, Mr. ah … Northman. We're finished here anyway. We will leave you and the Stackhouse women to your nights. If I have more questions I know where to contact all of you. Good night," he said with a slightly too high voice. He considered, just for a second, sticking his hand out to shake Eric's but thought better of it.

_Smart man!_

Instead he practically ran out of the house.

After the police finally left we discovered that Gran had dozed off on the couch. That's probably why she didn't say anything about me 'not respecting my elders'.

Eric offered to carry her to bed and I let him. I wouldn't be able to carry her and knew that unless I left her on the couch I would only have to wake her up to get her to her room.

He even offered to help clean the kitchen – much to my surprise – but he had barely spoken those words when he got a phone call.

I was just filling a bucket with water when he ended his conversation, "I need to go. There's an emergency at the bar that I need to tend to."

"Of course, thank you so much for your help tonight. It was quite amusing to see Andy squirm," I said and walked him to the front porch; we stopped there.

"It was my pleasure. And if you should want me to make you squirm anytime soon, all you need to do is tell me," he said and leered at me.

I rolled my eyes instead of saying anything. Of course he wouldn't be Eric if he didn't twist the words around on me. And much to my chagrin Cookie was waking up again; she had been sleeping peacefully the last couple of hours.

Trying to douse her interest, I tried to distract myself by taking in my surroundings and – surprise, surprise – look what I found: a vampire void in the woods. Of course it was Bill lurking in the tree line.

Eric seemed to have sensed him as well because he was looking at exactly where my creepy neighbor was standing. "I will have a vampire standing guard in the woods the rest of the night and for the next couple of nights. I advise that you and your grandmother shouldn't be alone during the day until I have someone for that as well but that will take at least a day. You should be very careful tomorrow."

I nodded, thankful for his protection. "Thanks, I will. I'll be at work until early evening and then I'll be at the DGD meeting afterwards. Will you be there?" After Gran had mentioned it earlier I had told him about the meeting and what Bill would talk about the next night.

"I can't promise but I will try. Good night, Sookie," he said and took my hand to give it a kiss.

_Charmer!_

"Good night, Eric," I replied and watched him walk to his car. That reminded me, "How will you get my car back to me when I still have the keys," I asked while jingling said keys in my hand and smiled oh-so-sweetly.

He turned to me with a smirk, "That's what towing services are for," and off he went.

_Ah, of course_, I thought and rolled my eyes again – but this time at myself.

He wasn't even halfway up the driveway when a dark truck – with aqua and pink flames - made its way in the opposite direction.

Urgh, Jason was not what I needed right then!

"Who the hell was that and how can he drive such a fine ride," he asked after dropping out of the truck.

I rolled my eyes. That was Jason: a car was more important to him than his own family. I ignored the comment.

"Hello to you too, Jason. It's good to see that you finally decided to grace us with your presence after almost two hours."

"Yeah, well I came as fast as I could," he said, sounding offended.

_Yeah, I bet!_

"So who was that? Why was he here at Gran's, especially at this time of night?"

_It's good to see that you have your priorities straight, Jason!_

"That was Eric. He's from Shreveport and I was with him when Gran called me." I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what would be coming next, "He's a vampire."

As I expected he started ranting loudly, "A fanger, Sookie? Are you out of your fucking mind? Hanging with deaders? Are you a fangbanger now like all the others?"

Oh, he did not just say that! I got right in his face and exploded, "Keep your fucking voice down!" I hissed.

"Gran's fine by the way, thanks for asking. She suffered quite a shock earlier and she needs all the rest she can get right now," If sarcasm were a physical object I would have hit him over the head with it, it was so thick, just like his head.

"As far as Eric is concerned: I'm not a fangbanger! How can you even say that to me? I'm still a fucking virgin! He's helping me clear **your** whorish ass because apparently you can't stop chasing every damn skirt like a dog in fucking heat! I'm doing this for **you**, you asshole! That's why he was here. He wants to find the real killer as much we do," I shouted like a howling dervish and stabbed his chest with a finger, probably leaving a bruise.

I was panting hard when I finally stopped and was on the verge of beating the shit out of him. It would serve him right but I would have probably killed any remaining brain cells he may have possessed.

He tried to open his mouth but I cut him off, too pissed off to let him speak so I hissed, "Not. One. Word!"

Instead I grabbed him by the front of his t-shirt and dragged him inside to the kitchen where I dropped a second bucket full of water in front of him and placed a sponge in his hand and ordered him to help me clean the kitchen.

When he tried to protest I shut him up with a single, dangerous look, "You **will** help me or I will call you out in front of Gran! She will tan your hide!"

He tried a few more times to get out of it but every time he opened his mouth I shot daggers at him. That nipped his protests right in the bud.

Maybe for the first time in his life he was scared of his own sister and the wrath she would put on him.

_Oh Jason, you have no idea!_

We worked quietly next to each other and I tried not to think too closely about what I was cleaning; I probably wouldn't have been able to continue.

Hours later I finally shut the door behind my brother. I was so tired I could barely stand up. My bed was calling me and I wanted nothing more than to fall into oblivion but before I could make it even three steps from the door there was a knock.

Bill!

I. Could. Not. Believe. It!

Could I not have just one night without him pestering me? Apparently not.

For a moment I contemplated not answering but I knew he wouldn't stop knocking. It made me so angry that I forcefully threw open the door and pinned him with the deadliest stare I could muster at that time of night.

"What," I spat in his direction.

"Sookeh," his voice made my skin crawl. He managed to sound patronizing and whiny at the same time. "I heard what happened," _Yeah, I bet._ "Are you alright? I wanted to help you earlier, to clean up the cat blood, but your brother arrived before I could offer my services." He took a step forward but an invisible barrier stopped him from entering.

Just why would Jason's arrival prevent him from offering his services?

Giving me a disgustingly sly smile, he said, "Why don't you let me in so I can do that now? Let me help you, Sookeh." Something tickled my brain. It felt like an army of hairy spiders were crawling all over it.

_Was he trying to glamour his way in?_

Oh, that little shit!

I brushed it aside like I would swat away a fly. _Not gonna happen Billy boy. You'll never get into my house again_. A shiver went through my body at what he implied. I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders to stay strong, "Bill! Firstly, never ever try to glamour me again. Haven't you learned anything? And secondly, do you have any idea what time it is? It's 3 o'clock in the fucking morning. Normal human beings are asleep at this time of night. If you have woken my gran, so help me…"

"Sookeh, you are a lady. You should not utter such foul words!"

Oh, he didn't!

The little thread of patience I still had went up in smoke.

"Bill Compton, if you interrupt me, lecture me or ignore what I say one more time, I swear to god, I will stake you in your sleep," _Hmm, now that put an idea in my head_.

Speaking of stakes, my hand grabbed the drawer of the small table next to the door. I had stashed a few stakes in there I had bought from Wal-Mart earlier in the day, thinking of the conversation we'd had the night before, and got one out. Better be safe than sorry, right? "Don't think I'm not capable of it." I waved the stake between us so Bill had a clear view of it.

"But Sookie, you are acting foolish. The killer was in your house and he has a key. You should stay with me until this is over."

The way he said that bugged the hell out of me. "How do you know that he has a key?" Saying this triggered a thought that hadn't come to me earlier when Andy questioned me about it. Gran had a catch-all drawer in the kitchen and there was an extra key stowed in it. I needed to see if it was still in there.

Bill hesitated a moment too long to answer me and I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously as he answered my question, "There are no broken doors or windows so it is only logical that he has a key, of course."

_Uh huh, __**of course**__!_

Does he know who did this? Did he see who followed me to Shreveport? I couldn't even fathom the questions flooding my brain. I was too tired for it and on overload anyway.

"Sookeh," he said impatiently, "why haven't you accepted my offer? It's not very ladylike to be so stubborn. It will get you killed. You need to be protected. Come with me! I have a room ready for you."

His old-school behavior amused me greatly: You're the woman, I'm the man! I wanted to laugh at his face.

A picture popped into my head at that: _Primeval forest, a man in a loincloth with wild, dark hair and sideburns yelling, "Me Tarzan! You mine, Sookeh," as he drags me away by the hair._

I shook my head. No, that doesn't seem right. There was something fundamentally wrong with that picture. Even Cookie gave me the cold shoulder and turned her back on me while huffing.

_Try again_, she growled.

Alright:_ Primeval forest, a man in a loincloth with wild, long blond hair yelling, "Me Tarzan! You Sookie," as he lifts me up in his strong arms and swings us from liana to liana._

Yes, that was much better. Cookie was purring happily, "_Here, kitty, kitty!"_ She agreed wholeheartedly.

Anyway, what was it with him always saying I should stay at his house? I would never do that; for one, I would never leave my gran alone and I told him that already; and the other reason was, I would never want be alone with him, let alone in his house where he could do whatever he wanted with me. No thank you.

Apparently he hadn't gotten the message the night before so I needed to be a little more direct, "I have ignored your very **gracious** offer because I used something out of your very own book: I let your words go in one ear and out the other. Furthermore, let's make this clear once and for all: I will not stay with you, I am not yours, I don't want to be yours and I don't want anything from you. You and I are nothing, will be nothing and never have been anything. Okay? Do you understand that?"

Bill narrowed his eyes and sneered at me, "Is it Eric?"

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Of course, he couldn't have me so Eric must be the reason. That it could be his own fault would never cross his mind. "Good night, Bill," I said and shut the door in his face.

"You will regret this. Mark my words," I heard him say through the door. A shiver of foreboding went through my body but I was too exhausted to analyze it. I needed sleep, badly.

Before I could fall into the arms of sleep though there was one little task I still needed to do. Stepping into the kitchen I made a beeline to that special drawer and ripped it open. Rummaging through it for a moment, a bad, bad feeling settled in my bones.

I shuddered.

The key was gone.

How did that happen? The key was only for emergencies and neither Gran nor Jason – I had asked him earlier – mislaid theirs.

There was only one reason I could think of to explain why the key was gone: The murderer had it!

But how?

How had he gotten in? No lock on the doors or the windows had been broken before that night. Did we leave a window open one night and the killer used it as an excuse just to steal the extra key? But why? And how did he know where to look? Nobody other than my brother and grandmother knew about it.

And more importantly, how did Bill know about it? I didn't buy his explanation one little bit.

Or had it been him?


	8. Chapter 8

Hello my lovely readers, here is Chapter 8 for you!

Thank you all who has taken the time to review. Some of you had asked why I wrote some things that way or why didn't Sookie or Eric do that. The answer is simple: Because I wanted it that way. I wanted a certain result. I wanted to go that route. It's the same if you asked Charlaine Harris why her Sookie is so dumb or why she didn't end up with Eric. Because she wanted it that way! There are so many diiferent ways you can write a story, so many actions the characters could take.

But you need to put yourselves into Sookie's and/or Eric's shoes as well. They don't know what will happen and they don't know what had happened either. So they try to act to the best of their abilities. You should keep that in mind when you read this chapter as well.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8:

At lunch time the next day Merlotte's was almost packed to capacity. It was only two hours into my shift and I already had a lot of trouble keeping up with the orders in my section. Everybody was talking about the night before and what had happened at the 'Stackhouse residence'; why they couldn't just say Adele's or your home or something was beyond me.

I was bombarded with question after question and well-wishes for my grandmother between glass refills and food orders. Thank god the gossip mill hadn't been detailed enough that they knew about the message on the wall, otherwise the crowd would have been impossible to handle. All they knew was that someone broke into our house and made a mess of the kitchen.

Still, it was tiring and very difficult to keep the pressure on my mental shields from collapsing what little bit of protection from the thoughts that I did have.

On top of all of that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to listen to the customers and thinking about likely suspects. I had a bad feeling that time was slipping through my fingers and would soon run out if I didn't find out who it was … it was like a shadow was coming my way - and remembering the bloody message on the kitchen wall - very soon as well.

My thoughts drifted away while I was standing at the bar waiting for one of my drink orders:

_After waking up that morning and not smelling breakfast as usual I was instantly scared. I jumped out of bed and ran to my grandmother's bedroom but she was still sleeping peacefully, thank god. I was still concerned that she wasn't up at her usual hour though. _

_The night before must have taken a greater toll on her than she thought. I also remembered Eric's warning about not being alone during the day so I called Maxine Fortenberry to see whether or not she could watch over Gran while I was at work. She told me she needed to start cooking and baking for the meeting that night but she could bring the ingredients and everything else she needed over and do it in our kitchen._

_She arrived while I was going out the back door to drive to work: It lessened my burden a little to know that Gran was not alone. _

_On the way to the bar I made a detour to the store to buy some pepper spray. Better to be safe than sorry, right? _

_I knew the pepper spray couldn't really save me from an attack in any kind of way but maybe it would buy me some time to call for help or something. _

_I didn't want to end up like Maudette and Dawn. Just remembering Dawn's broken body sent shivers down my spine; I will never forget that image._

_Thinking of better safe than sorry, I made a mental note to get the locks changed pronto since I still didn't know for sure who had stolen the key. _

_Whether it was Bill or not, thanks to Eric I felt pretty safe from him. Just as I had drifted off to sleep in the early morning hours I had felt a vampire void moving to the edge of the woods. I knew it wasn't Bill because it was an unknown void and it had felt bigger than Bills. That unknown void told me that Eric had kept his promise about putting a vampire in place for my protection._

_When I went into the bar through the employee's entrance I barely had ten minutes left until the start of my shift. _

_Sam was in his office when I went in to stash away my belongings. _

_"__Hey chére. I heard you had quite the night last night. Are you okay? How's your Gran," he asked me._

_"__Hey Sam, we're both alright; Gran suffered quite the shock but in a few days she'll be as good as new." _Hopefully_, I thought. _

_"__That's good to hear. Was anything stolen?"_

_I shook my head: If it had only been that simple. "No, they just messed up the kitchen." I didn't tell him about the bloody message for me. _

_"__If there's anything you need you know all you need to do is ask, right?"_

_"__Thanks Sam, I really appreciate it but we're good."_

_I knew Sam was sweet on me – well, that was an understatement – and that he would do anything for me if I would so much as crook my little finger at him but I didn't want him involved. _

_I wasn't interested in him that way. He was a good boss and an even greater friend but if I were to involve him then I knew he would be overprotective and hopeful that something more would develop between us. I wouldn't have been able to handle it right then so I kept my mouth shut and my worries to myself._

_"__Can I borrow the phone for a minute," I asked when I remembered that I wanted to change the locks._

_Sam looked at me like I didn't even need to ask, "Yeah, of course."_

_I thanked him and called the local locksmith service. They promised they'd come to the house right after noon. Then I called my Gran and thank god she was up by then. She assured me she was alright and already in the middle of baking a pie. I sighed to myself. That stubborn woman couldn't take it easy for even one day. I told her about the locksmith and then hung up again._

_"__Thanks, Sam."_

_"__Sure thing, chére!" Sam looked thoughtful for a second before he spoke again, "Something happened yesterday that I think you should know about." That sounded quite ominous and my curiosity was piqued. _

_"__Andy Bellefleur came in during the early evening and he was in a bad mood," Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten about that. The images I got from Andy's mind the night before were suspicious as hell but he was thinking too fast for me to get anything concrete. Then he had changed his focus away from the bar scene and back to the task at hand._

_It sounded like Sam was about to tell me about what I couldn't make heads or tails of from Andy's thoughts. I had the feeling I wasn't going to like it one little bit though, "and he gathered quite a crowd once he started talking about how you marched into the police station and acted all crazy, telling everyone there that you claimed Jason was not the killer and that you believed a Marshall Andrews or something was the real murderer," he explained and eyed me sympathetically._

_That had my blood boiling in five seconds flat! If I had known that the night before I probably would have made a scene. It wouldn't have mattered whether Eric was there or not because I would have given him a come to Jesus he would have never forgotten and Gran would have probably helped, tired or not!_

_How could Andy do that? How could someone like him, a detective of law enforcement, do something so stupid? _

_You didn't tell anyone, much less the whole town, anything when there was a serial killer on the loose! Make no mistake, five seconds after the first words left his mouth everyone else would have known what was going on. The gossip mill, much like a weed, grows whether you want it to or not and can start from something as insubstantial as a piece of fluff; it spread even faster with the creation of texting and cell phones with picture and video capabilities. Did he even care about any of that? I guess not!_

_Oh I knew quite well how it must have played out: He came into Merlotte's, angry because I told his family's not so well kept secret and made him look like a fool in front of his colleagues, not that he needed any help in that department, so he told the whole town how 'Crazy Sookie' had done it again, how she was acting all crazy like and telling things she shouldn't know. _

_That, in his mind, was proof positive that Jason was the killer! I could see the smug look on his face as if it were right in front of me. And once again a Stackhouse was the scapegoat._

_With that thought my blood ran colder and I paled. A bad, bad feeling settled in my stomach. No wonder I was followed to Shreveport that night. The murderer had heard Andy blabbing, connected the dots and took notice of me. _

_Then he decided to follow me around and when I drove to Fangtasia he confirmed for himself that I was a fangbanger and a threat as well. He probably drove back to Bon Temps after that to break into our house and killed my cat as a warning. Enough time had passed at Fangtasia for him to do that._

_It was even worse than I thought!_

_"__You look kind of pale chére, is everything alright? I didn't mean to upset you; I just thought you should know."_

_"__I'm fine. It's okay, Sam. It's just that now they'll think I'm even crazier than before. They'll be insufferable for a long time."_

_"__You know you're not crazy, right? They just don't understand."_

_"__Yeah but it still doesn't give them the right to degrade me, think I'm a mindless animal or insult me in public and then point their fingers and laugh at me: I have feelings too."_

_"__And I will not tolerate it in my bar."_

_I nodded and stood up, "Well, I need to start working," I said and walked to the door but before I slipped through I turned back around, "I know you know about my secret or at least that you suspect it, right?"_

_He looked at me quizzically for a long moment then nodded his head. _

_"__It's true!" I had never told him outright that I was a telepath but I could tell that he guessed it: His eyes widened when I confirmed his suspicion. "And you should also know that I'm your friend and know that you have a secret as well." I gave him a meaningful look and it seemed to dawn on him what I was trying to say. He opened his mouth in shock but before he could say anything I interrupted him, "It's okay, I'm not angry. I just want you to know that you can tell me in your own time. I won't judge you." I smiled then and left the office._

A loud crash startled me out of my thoughts. Jumpy as I was I swirled around - heart racing and eyes wide - to see the cause of the sound, ready for an attack but it was just Arlene who was standing behind the bar; she had let a glass slip through her fingers and it crashed to the floor. Thank god I didn't have a full tray in my hands or there would have been an even bigger mess to clean up.

Arlene gave me an apologetic smile but her thoughts were not friendly: She thought that if she was with a vampire – like I was - she would be jumpy as well. It wouldn't surprise her if I was the next victim.

_Huh? _

How the hell did she jump to the conclusion that I was **with** a vampire? I was not! How could she even know? I had never been seen with them in public other than the first night Bill came into the bar and … the night before.

_Damn! _

Did Andy blab that as well? No, that couldn't be. Her thoughts didn't indicate that she had come across him between the night before and that moment so it must have been someone else. The other officers were out of the question as well so there was only one person … no, that's not true, there were two persons who had seen Eric at the house. Two people – one vampire and one human - who weren't really supportive of him in the first place.

Jason and Bill!

I couldn't rule either one out: My dear brother could have talked about it without really thinking. As usual! It wouldn't surprise me. Ha, I **knew** he would do it.

I couldn't believe I was surrounded by small town idiots. Didn't they see what could happen? Didn't they see that it could cost somebody their life?

And Bill? I wouldn't put anything past him anymore. Bill's behavior was getting more and more suspicious. Something was bugging me about our conversation after Jason left but I couldn't put my finger on it.

_Ah shit! I had been at Fangtasia as well! There was no telling who had been there both nights who might know me and spread the word that I was a fangbanger! _

This was even a bigger mess than I thought.

_Sigh_. It was water under the bridge anyway. The deed was already done: I needed to focus on the people Jason had talked to. He would be coming to the bar within the hour anyway then I could start eliminating suspects.

Ten minutes later the lunch crowd was finally thinning out a little and I saw my chance to take a five minute break: I needed to use the restroom badly.

After I did my business I came out of the stall … only to find Arlene in front of the mirror applying lipstick.

Great!

Arlene and I had never really gotten along. She was the kind of woman who was friendly to your face then when you turned around she would stab you in the back. I'd always kept my distance from her because I knew what she really thought about me. If I didn't have my disability she would probably have been one of my best friends but I did have it and I didn't want to be friends with someone who was just acting friendly towards me when she wanted something from me. I had only ever babysat her kids a few times but that was only in an emergency when I knew she really didn't have anyone else. That's as far as it went for the favors I had ever done for Arlene.

It was no wonder her fake smile, which was forming on her lips, started bugging me: She was up to something.

I gave her my 'Crazy Sookie' smile back but said nothing. Instead I stepped up next to her to wash my hands and let my mental shields down. A few seconds went by with no-one saying a word but out of the corner of my eye I could see that she was observing me closely.

I knew what she was about to say wasn't going to be nice, since I could 'hear' it, but I didn't quite expect what tumbled out of her mouth.

"You know, Sookie, you shouldn't be with vamps. I always thought you were a good Christian girl but it seems I was wrong." _Just let her talk_, I thought, amused. "They're creatures of the night, they're evil and they will drag you and all the other fangbangers down with them if you keep associating yourself with them."

Her mind was a nasty snarl: She thought both Maudette and Dawn had it coming to them; that these creatures had risen straight from hell. And … right there was an even darker thought but it was gone before I could catch it. It was like a shadow in the back of her mind; a dark figure with no shape. I had seen that earlier as well while we were standing at the bar but I hadn't thought anything of it. Could Arlene be the killer? No, I didn't think she was strong enough to strangle someone like that, and I knew whoever it was was definitely male, but she could understand the desire to get rid of those 'sinners' and 'traitors to their race'. What was she hiding then? Did she suspect who the killer was? Or did she already know?

"Adele should be ashamed of you, whoring yourself out to those fangers! You should be careful that you don't end up like that Maudette or Dawn," she ended her bigoted speech.

Okay, it was getting nasty really fast: I had to put an end to it.

How dare she drag my grandmother into things! If she only knew. I had always wanted to give her a piece of my mind and that seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I turned around so I was facing her fully, "You, of all people should talk, Arlene. You've had, what, three husbands and you're already hunting for number four?" Renée Lanier had been her second husband and she seemed to have him back in her clutches again, "You're the one who has slept with more people than you can count, much like my brother. In fact, why don't the two of you get together and see who has more notches on your bedposts? Do you really think that God would approve of that? And you say I'm a whore?

"Since you don't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'whore' I'll enlighten you: A whore is someone who has sex for monetary or other gain.

"It's none of your business, or the town's, who I associate with. Everybody ignores me or talks down to me when I stay home, come to work and live a mundane life but when I go out for a couple of nights all of a sudden it's everyone's business what I do and who I do it with!

"I can never live my fucking life because all of you scrutinize my every move," my voice got louder and I towered over her the more I said.

"For your information I'm still a fucking virgin! My OB/Gyn can give you the confirmation if you really want to know.

Can you see any fang marks on my body? Should I take off my shirt and let down my pants so you can look closely? I would even do it the middle of the fucking bar out there if you want so everyone will know!"

I took a deep breath, "How dare you bring my grandmother into this! She is proud that I'm not one of the bigoted, small-minded people in this town like you are!

"You are an insecure, jealous, petty, desperately needy woman who shames the rest of us with your whorish ways!" With that said I stormed out of the room, leaving her mute as a little mouse.

I'd wanted to say my peace for so long that it was like a physical release right then. It seemed like a new power was rising within me which didn't want to put up with 'doormat Sookie' any longer. I really noticed it when … yes, when I first met Eric. Of course it had been there for the last few years and it had started to change me. It was subtle things that no-one but me would notice but the changes were definitely there. It was the mental changes which I had noticed first but the changes seemed to be more noticeable since I first went to Fangtasia. Was Eric awakening something in me? Or was it more like my confidence started growing when the vampires revealed themselves and I realized that maybe humans were not at the top of the food-chain?

It didn't really matter to me anyway: I liked the new Sookie!

When I went back to the main room I received a few looks from the tables nearest the hallway where the restrooms were located. I stared right back and dared them to say anything; of course they didn't.

It seemed like I had come back right on time since I could see Jason coming in with his co-workers from the road crew.

Perfect! Now I could finally start my investigation.

They sat down at one of Arlene's tables: She had come out of the ladies room a few seconds after me. She scowled at me when she walked by, trying to intimidate me one last time, but I just shot daggers back at her.

_Not with me you little witch!_

For the next half hour I observed my brother and his friends very closely and I started to realize that it had to be one of his closest friends or coworkers, or maybe one of their closest friends: It couldn't be interpreted any other way.

I considered what I knew about Jason's friends and who would be the more likely suspect.

Hoyt Fortenberry? He was sweet, definitely a mama's boy and didn't have the guts to disobey her. But could he be a killer? No, never! He was too soft hearted and barely left Bon Temps and he didn't have a sister.

Renée Lanier? He was Arlene's boyfriend again and from what I could see a good father to her kids. He was helpful as well and I remembered how he had helped me after I found Dawn's body.

Had he always been in Bon Temps?

I couldn't really remember. He had been a part of my brother's life for so long that it became all blurry. I would need to ask Gran about it. I knew he had a sister though. What was her name again? Cindy … yes. He once told me that I reminded him of his sister, Cindy. It could be a coincidence, right? Still, a feeling settled in my bones.

I observed him a little more closely but honestly I couldn't imagine him being a killer either. Still, that feeling of something being wrong had never failed me before and I wasn't about to start to ignore or doubt it then when my life was actually in danger. I tried listening in on his thoughts but he wasn't thinking anything that indicated he was on the prowl for his next victim.

Damn, this was harder than I thought it would be but at least I had a main suspect from that point forward. I could concentrate on him but still observe Jason's other friends out of the corner of my eye.

As they were about to leave I grabbed Jason by the arm and dragged him to the back hallway: I needed to have a serious discussion with him.

"What the hell, Sookie. I need to get back to work." Well, at least he took **something** seriously.

"Did you talk about Eric to anyone?"

"Who?" I rolled my eyes: His brain was like a sieve.

"The vampire who was at Gran's house last night, the one with the Corvette."

You could see the light bulb turn on when I said 'Corvette', "Oh. Of course I did. Do you think I wouldn't tell anyone that I saw that kind of car in Bon Temps? Even if a vampire was the owner?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. _Calm down, Sookie. Stay calm._ "Did you even think for one little second that there is a serial killer on the loose who targets women with connections to vampires? Did you think for one tiny moment that as soon as you opened your mouth you endangered your **own sister**?

"No of course you didn't. You never think about the consequences because you never think with the head on your shoulders. Thanks to your loose lips I'm the next target, Jason!"

"How can this be my fault? You're the one going out with fangers!"

"I'm not going out with anyone Jason, least of all a vampire! Just because I'm friendly and talk to them doesn't mean I'm a fangbanger. I've only ever been seen with Bill once, last night with Eric and the nights at Fangtasia to get your ass out of the fire. That's it." I had the feeling I was repeating myself, "I can't believe your stupidity!"

Jason's face became as red as a tomato and I knew he was ready to explode but I didn't have time for his speech about fangbangers and evil vampires. I had the impression I had been living in a loop the last few days. Almost every conversation I'd had was repeating itself endlessly. Now I knew how Bill Murray felt in the movie 'Groundhog Day'.

So I cut him off before he could say anything, "Be careful what you say from now on," I hissed at him as I let him go; though I knew it was a fruitless attempt.

* * *

><p>The Community Building was packed to capacity as I made my way inside. There were at least a hundred people in the room. I'd never seen such a gathering in Bon Temps – except maybe Christmas. Were all of them here just to hear Bill's speech?<p>

Honestly, I couldn't understand the appeal. Most of them were hypocrites anyway: They hated vampires or were at least wary of them, as they should be, but still they came to hear a vampire speak: Or they were coming for the entertainment and hoped that the vampire attacked someone.

Urgh!

Seriously?

I was one of the last people to arrive and it wouldn't take long for the meeting to begin so I greeted my grandmother quickly and found a seat in the last row of metal chairs; that way I could discreetly observe the whole room and the people in it.

A few minutes later Maxine Fortenberry, the president of The Descendants, made her way up the steps to the podium.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," her voice boomed across the room. Her voice was loud enough that she didn't need the microphone perched in front of her on the podium but she used it anyway, "Our guest of honor has just called to say he's having car trouble and will be a few minutes late so help yourselves to the beverages and snacks over there while we wait," she gestured to her right, our left, where a cold buffet was set out.

A murmur went through the crowd and a few of them took the suggestion to heart and went to the tables to load down the paper plates and napkins with food.

I remained seated because a suspicion had rolled through my body. Why would Bill be late because of car trouble? We were just three miles, tops, from his home. Why would he even need a car for that distance when he had vampire speed? He had followed me all the way to Shreveport on foot the night before for Christ's sake!

I smelled a rat and it stank to high heaven!

Or perhaps I was just too suspicious, paranoid, about anything to do with Bill Compton.

On the other hand, his behavior the night before had made me suspicious as well. There were some things in our conversation that hadn't made sense to me. I had been too tired then to really think it through but in the light of a new day I recognized some things he'd said that should have made me wary the second they came out of his mouth.

The first thing that came to mind was he said he wanted to help me clean up the **cat** **blood**. How the hell could he know that? Nothing like that was leaked to the rumor mill and I don't think he could have smelled it either. He had come to the door **after** we had cleaned it up and we used so much bleach and other chemicals that even I wanted to breathe through a gas mask. Besides he had said 'he heard what happened' not 'he heard **about** what happened', linked with what he said about the cat blood I don't think it was a coincidence. So the only logical explanation for it was that he was in on it; that he knew who the serial killer was and that Bill was using him for his own gain.

At that moment I could see our conversation more clearly. Bill had said that '**he** – the killer – must have a **key** to the house'. There are so many things wrong with that sentence I could have smacked myself. Okay, the fact that Bill 'assumed' the murderer was male could be excused because it was a pronoun generally used and officially believed by the Sheriff's department as well.

The way he mentioned the key however confirmed his involvement in my book since only those of us who had lived in the house even knew about it. He was at the top of my list of suspects after I found out that the key was missing from the drawer.

The idea that he had wandered through our house while we slept and had touched our things made me feel extremely violated.

I wanted to retch! Or take a shower in bleach water.

What was his motivation though? Why was he doing it?

I repeated the conversation over in my mind as far as it was possible with my tired brain from the night before. Then I had a light bulb moment: He had mentioned that he had a room ready for me.

I shuddered.

For some reason I pictured a room with metal bars instead of walls. It felt like a sense of foreboding. Would he really hold me prisoner? But for what use?

Eric had assured me that the queen wouldn't want something like that for me. Was he wrong? Or did Bill have totally different intentions towards me than we originally believed? I had never taken him to be an idiot – and I wasn't about to start – so I think anything was possible with him.

My heart was galloping in my chest and I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Then I shook my head to clear my mind of the disturbing thoughts. I couldn't do anything about it anyway right then. At least I had thought to wear silver jewelry so I could at least protect myself from him.

I then focused my mind on the people in the room. Jason and his friends – and especially my number one suspect, Renée - were huddled together in the middle part of the sea of chairs and were talking rather animatedly about cars and women. I rolled my eyes. Big surprise!

I concentrated on Renée who was sitting in the first chair of the row. He wasn't thinking anything suspicious at that moment. He was listening to his friends but for some reason he seemed a little nervous and was waiting for a … text message of some kind.

As the minutes ticked by I got more and more frustrated with him. He wasn't thinking anything regarding the murders or anything else which would let me either confirm my suspicions about him or let me go onto somebody else.

Just then Maxine came back to the podium - and caught everybody's attention - with Bill on her tail and introduced him to everyone. He proudly stood beside her and let his gaze wander through the room as if searching for someone. For me most likely. Or maybe the killer?

Disgusted, I turned my head away again before he could catch my gaze and observed the hustle of people who were trying to get back to their seats as fast as possible.

Childish? Perhaps. But I didn't have the nerve that night to get caught up in one of his stupid mind games.

On the other hand, if I hadn't done that I wouldn't have seen Renée using the commotion to his advantage. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him sliding out of his chair and slipping out of the room.

Fuuuck!

I hadn't paid attention to him for just one little moment! Damn you Bill Compton!

My heart dropped to the bottom of my feet and my stomach turned into knots. A nasty, nasty feeling settled in my bones.

_It __**is**__ Renée!_ That was the only thought I could form at that moment while my body filled with dread and my heart began to race.

How did I not see that coming right away? There were so many clues pointing in his direction and he was my main suspect for Christ's sake! My god, it was so obvious all of a sudden, I could have smacked myself. All the puzzle pieces slipped into place. What was the saying? You couldn't see the forest for the trees? Yeah, exactly!

And then I became aware of all the coincidences when he had been close by.

When I'd found Dawn's body he'd driven by her house just a few minutes after I got there and had asked whether I was okay. Yes, he saw me but that wasn't a good enough reason to get out of his car and ask me. Nobody else would have given it another thought and would have just driven by; in fact a couple had driven by, without stopping, when I was standing at the front door and calling for Dawn to open up. And then there was his sister Cindy. The way he told me that I reminded him of her caused me to see that statement in another light. He said that to me **after** I met Bill. At that thought a shiver went down my spine.

Furthermore, I had asked Gran about him after I got home from work earlier and she remembered that he had moved back to Bon Temps about four years before, in late summer or early fall, and took the job on the road crew. That was shortly after the vampires came out of the coffin on the 4th of July. Coincidence much?

It didn't take a genius to know that he was after me and I wasn't naïve enough to think I wasn't his target either.

I couldn't catch his thoughts because there were too many people in there to focus solely on Renée that quickly but I had gotten an echo of that chilling blackness I had felt once before in the parking lot of Fangtasia.

What should I do? I knew that my time was up and it scared the crap out of me that I didn't know what he was up to.

Would he be waiting for me somewhere and catch me off guard? Why would he slip out otherwise? I had taken the warning from the night before to heart so I knew that he was after me - I would bet my boneshaker of a car! I know it wasn't worth much but you get my drift. If I had just gotten a little glimpse of his thoughts so I would have a clue. But noooooo, Mr. Bill fucking Compton had to arrive at the shittiest moment.

Was Renée's thinking about the text message linked with him leaving? I had seen a cell phone in his hand the second before he slipped out.

Again, damn you, Bill! Couldn't your 'car trouble' have lasted a few moments longer … Ooooohhh! Oh, that was a brilliant move!

If I wasn't so shocked I probably would have congratulated him and clapped my hands off in front of all those fucking people!

He was cunning that Bill, I had to give him that. He used the meeting and his late arrival as a diversion so I wouldn't suspect anything was amiss that night.

And it had almost worked but not quite: I had seen Renée leaving and I knew, finally knew, that it was him.

Should I talk to someone about it? But who? I didn't have many options: Neither Sheriff Dearborn nor Andy would believe me. They would think it was my craziness talking again.

Jason would be of no help either; he wouldn't take me seriously. Eric would be perfect but he couldn't be here because of the emergency at his club. Pam had called me earlier, shortly before I had to leave, to tell me that Eric couldn't make it. He would try to stop by later that night and in the meantime they had a vampire stationed in my woods.

I could understand that. He couldn't just drop everything for me and neglect his duties. His business was more important at that moment and I found it thoughtful that he would provide protection for me regardless.

I had even waited until the vampire was in place earlier before I left for the meeting; that's why I had been so late. I hadn't really seen who Eric had provided for me, not that I would have known them by name anyway, but when I'd gone to my car I had thanked him or her for doing this for me and given whoever it was a wink. I had only seen the outline of vampire's body but he had definitely winked back.

It frustrated me to no end that I didn't have a cellphone though. Right then I could have used it to tell Eric that I knew who the killer was.

The only other option I had was Sam. He was a shifter so he would be strong enough to protect me, right? He had said he would be there that night so I would find him after the meeting was over. I craned my neck to look for him and found him sitting a few rows in front of me next to … Arlene and her kids? Why was she not sitting next to her boyfriend?

Seeing her where she was made me even more suspicious about her behavior regarding me. Did she know her boyfriend was murdering women all along? Or did she just suspect it? Or, more disturbingly, was she his accomplice? Judging by her thoughts earlier in the ladies' room I wouldn't put it past her anymore. There was this dark shadow similar to Renée's but not quite so chilly and … evil.

I shuddered at the memory. I never, ever wanted to feel that again!

I was sitting on the edge of my seat and counting the seconds until the meeting was finally over. Bill's monotonous voice almost drove me up the wall and made me want to kill someone, preferably him. How I could have found him interesting and attractive at the beginning was beyond me.

It did seem as though he had made some new friends though.

Just as he finished his speech some people asked him whether he knew some of their ancestors and Bill continued by telling them this touching story about some of his best friends.

I could have throttled them! I wanted to get that night, especially that meeting, over and done with.

Finally – after endless minutes of questions and answers – I made my way through the milling people to where my grandmother was packing up the food.

"Hey Gran, need some help?"

"Oh Sookie, yes please! Wasn't that a wonderful speech Mr. Compton gave?"

I could barely suppress an eye roll. _Yeah, so wonderful it almost put me into a coma_. I didn't say that out loud though, just gave her a tight smile and a nod.

Together we packed everything up and I volunteered to take the food home. That way I could ask for Sam's help and catch two birds with one stone.

After we stowed the things in the trunk of my car I found Sam in the foyer talking to Arlene, Mrs. Fortenberry and her son Hoyt. Why did Arlene have to be everywhere? It was as if she was guessing where I would go and who I would be talking to.

I took a dip into her head and what I saw made my eyebrows disappear into my hairline. She was thinking about … Sam and there was a big neon arrow pointing at his head?

What the fuck?

Hmm, she was going crazy, perhaps?

As if sensing my approach, Sam turned around and his eyes lit up, "Hey Sookie, I was looking for you."

I smiled, "And I was looking for you. Could you do me a favor and help me bring all the food and stuff home? I could use a hand."

"Yeah, of course," he answered and we started walking back outside – away from the crowd. My mind was still tuned to Arlene's and I could see that the neon arrow started blinking – like a little kid would turn a light switch on and off at rapid speed – the moment we started walking away.

C.R.E.E.P.Y!

I withdrew from her mind and concentrated on Sam.

"Uh … I ah … thought about what you said earlier," Sam said and I needed a second to remember what he was talking about. "Could we go somewhere for a cup of coffee afterwards? I want to talk to you about a few things."

Taken slightly aback I blinked at him. "Yeah sure," I said but I didn't think that would be happening that night.

I took a deep breath to get enough courage for what I was about to do, "Listen Sam, there's something I need to talk to you about as well. I know who…," I started to explain but before I could even finish my sentence a phone started to go off.

"Shit. I'm sorry Sookie, I need to take this. That's probably Terry. We had a problem with a clogged toilet in the women's restroom earlier, after your shift ended. Apparently someone's child flushed one of those little army soldiers," he explained before he answered his phone.

Sam listened to the caller for a few minutes and he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his face a few times before he disconnected.

_Oh damn_, I thought. I knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry chère. I need to get back to the bar. It's not just a clogged toilet anymore but a burst water pipe. Almost the whole bar was flooded. We'll probably need to close it for a few days."

"Oh no! Anything I can do to help?"

"Not at the moment. But I might call you later tonight if that's okay?"

_If I'm still alive then_, I thought. But I drove that thought away as fast as I could.

"Oh Sam, that's terrible!" We turned around and saw Arlene standing behind us and she looked like she felt guilty about something. Had she been eavesdropping on us?

"Yeah, I'm sorry y'all but I don't think I'll be able to pay you while we're closed. It'll be hard enough to cover the cost of the renovations," he explained and sighed.

I felt bad for him but surprisingly I wasn't that bummed about the lack of payment; I did still have an ace up my sleeve after all.

"I can help you with that. I have a friend who's a craftsman. He would work for much less than any workshop around here," she said in a sugary sweet voice and … was she batting her eyelashes? My god, I didn't get that woman: She was dating one man and flirting with another. Did she have no shame?

Sam seemed to ponder that for a moment before he shook his head, "Thanks Arlene, but that's not necessary. I think I'll call in a clean-up crew and then Terry and I will do the repairs ourselves." I wanted to pat him on the back for not accepting her offer. She seemed angry for a second before she schooled her features again.

I wanted to get away from her so I said goodbye to Sam. After he turned around to go to his car I did the same.

Before I could take three steps though I was stopped by the witch herself. What was it with her? She felt like a leech that was sucking on your body and wouldn't let go, "You know Sookie, you shouldn't bother Sam with your trivial problems. He's a very busy man these days and will be even more so in the near future. Why don't you stay with your creatures from hell and stop poisoning such honorable persons as Sam Merlotte with your craziness."

I blinked.

Why was she so fixated on him? I found it very odd how she had said the words. What should I make of that? And it was even stranger how she came across to me that night.

I couldn't help but be amused though, "Why wouldn't I ask a friend for help? That's not any of your concern. And anyway, who's going to protect him from your bigoted talk, Arlene," I asked dryly. "Mind your own business and go back to your kids."

She just gave me a nasty look and then went back inside.

I just shook my head and tried to get back to the task at hand: What could I do to not get killed?

I had nobody who could help me and I needed this resolved before my gran got involved. Maybe I should go back inside and talk to my brother after all? I knew it would take too long to explain and especially too long to convince him though.

Apparently I needed to face this alone either way. Maybe it was better that way anyway because I hadn't wanted to drag somebody else into it in the first place. I could do it, hopefully. I didn't buy pepper spray for nothing, did I? And I had a shotgun in the house.

After I gave myself a pep talk for a few moments longer I finally got into my car and headed back home with a nearly overwhelming sense of dread sitting on my shoulder.

The five minute drive turned into almost ten because I drove at a snail's pace. I needed time to think, to come up with a better idea but my mind was blank; I didn't know what to do.

When I finally turned down my driveway I steered the car around the house and parked in the back, as always. I turned off the engine and looked around me. It was a quiet night. Too quiet! No owls hooting, no crickets chirping or any other animal noises that accompanied a forest.

And especially no vampire void in the woods anymore!

My heart started galloping in my chest. He had been there earlier, hadn't he? It was not just my imagination. And I had talked to him for Christ's sake - even if it was from a distance. What the hell was going on? And once it got my attention: What should have been there but wasn't? The house was completely dark; there should have at least been the porch light on.

Now I was really scared and adrenaline started pumping through my veins.

I needed Eric – and fast. But how could I reach him? Again I cursed my lack of a cellphone.

Wait! What did he say the other night about blood bonds? He would be able to feel my emotions and sense when I was in danger? I could have smacked myself for not thinking of it earlier when there had still been time.

I reached for it with an invisible hand - much like the night before - and touched the pulsating ball. It was warm like it was an actual physical presence and not just an image. While I was stroking it, I could feel a cord or thread coming out of the ball. It seemed to disappear into nothing when I tried to follow it, like all the light in the universe, and none at the same time, was coalescing and pulsing, making it all but invisible. Maybe it isn't meant to be viewed full on, maybe it's supposed to be felt instead?

Still, the thread felt alive and warm like it was connected with an actual person on the other end. That made me sigh with relief because it made my connection with Eric that much more real. I was not alone at that moment. He was still there with me, just not physically. And … what was that? There was an echo, like someone answered me on the other side. Did Eric actually feel that I was touching the bond? Maybe I could reach him that way? I had felt his … surprise? Maybe? Would it work in reverse then? Would he be able to feel it when I really was in danger? Hopefully I only needed to send him what I felt. It seemed to be the only logical thing for me to do.

Again, I cursed myself for not exploring and experimenting with it when I still had the time.

But better late than never!

So that's exactly what I did: I gathered all the fear, dread and danger into a tight ball and sent it as hard as I could through my whole body while praying to all the gods I could remember from my studies that he could feel it from such a distance.

What should I do while I waited? Should I wait for him? It would take at least 30 minutes to get there and by then Gran would be home.

Shit! I knew I couldn't wait that long.

I didn't think waiting in my car was such a good idea either; I felt like a sitting duck.

I knew by then that going home alone was not the brightest move I could have made under the circumstances. I should have at least gone back inside the community building and called Eric. Or even better, I should have taken Gran and driven us to Shreveport to Eric.

I groaned. Damn, why didn't I think of that beforehand? That damn Arlene distracted me to the point of carelessness. Or had that been her intention?

I was so deep in thought I barely felt the brain closing in on me. Fast.

Very fast.

Too fast!

Fuck!

How could I have missed him?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

A spike of adrenaline made me jump out of my car and run as fast as I could towards the shed in the backyard: I needed to get a weapon. Any weapon was better than the pepper spray I had at that moment.

Ah, shit!

Hadn't I put a stake in my car just before I left for my shift that morning? I could have used that as a weapon but nooooo, I had let my panic take over.

Footsteps thundered on the gravel and I knew he was close behind me. Well, too late! I couldn't go back anymore.

Thankfully I had put on running shoes earlier instead of heels so I was pretty quick on my feet and reached the shed in record time. I opened the door and grabbed the first thing my hand landed on: The shovel. As good as anything.

Unfortunately Renée was directly behind me and grabbed me in a choke hold before I could swing the shovel around.

_Bitch … fangbanger … whore … needs to die!_

His thoughts were so dark and ugly they were ringing in my head. It almost put my mind on overload but the adrenaline and fear helped me shake it off before it could consume me completely.

Just before I broke away completely I saw something that almost made me pause: It was rapidly flowing images flashing through his mind but the images I did manage to see, and the order those flashes appeared in, allowed me to confirm my suspicions.

First there was Arlene smiling suggestively at him, then Maudette as he murdered her, then Arlene again as she had this calculating look on her face; a look I had seen plenty over the last couple of days whenever she saw me. The next image was of Dawn as she lay dead on her bed. There was Arlene again and she looked disgusted with something and then Tina flying around on the ceiling fan.

If I wasn't distracted right then I would have doubled over in disgust myself and then probably thrown up whatever was left in my stomach.

Finally there was another image of Arlene, smiling sweetly at him and saying … something … yes, '_you know the whore deserves it Renée'._

Some of it could easily be explained away since Renée had been married to Arlene once already and was dating her again. I also knew without a doubt that he was the killer of Maudette and Dawn as well. But I knew better than to just assume the obvious. I knew the order the images flashed through his mind was the key. It wasn't random but exactly the way they happened: Arlene was his accomplice! Or maybe not his accomplice in the literal sense but at least an accessory to the crime. She definitely knew what Renée was doing. And I would even go so far as to accuse her of **ordering** him to kill those women if the conversation I got from his mind was any indication.

Oh. That. BITCH!

My anger over the images gave me a lot more strength.

Since Renée was underestimating me I was able to free my right arm from his hold with a hard jerk, swing it around and bang the shovel handle against his temple. Unfortunately I didn't get him with the sharp end but it was enough to catch him off balance and bring him to his knees.

"Bitch," he cursed as he held the side of his head.

I almost did a victory dance for my luck but I didn't have the time to linger on that thought. I turned around and ran towards the house at full speed.

_Shotgun! I need that damn rifle!_

Just as I reached the steps of the back porch I somehow stumbled over my own feet and almost crashed into the stairs. I had to support myself with my arms on a step and lost the shovel in the process.

Now I was the one who cursed but I didn't have the time to retrieve it. Renée was back on his feet and coming towards me. With a jolt of fear I jumped to the back door and flung it open; if I'd had the time to think about it I would have freaked out that it was open at all.

But that's where my luck finally ended. I had only made it a few steps into the mud room when Renée caught me. Something wrapped around my throat and suddenly I couldn't get enough air.

I opened my mouth to gasp for air but nothing happened. Panic consumed me as black spots started dancing in front of my eyes and my lungs were screaming for air. My fingers clawed at whatever was strangling me but that time I was not strong enough. My strength was waning more and more quickly with each passing second and I knew I only had a few more seconds left before I lost consciousness. I could feel the blackness beckoning me.

That's when I felt it: A new presence rising inside my body. I had felt it for a while; that something was happening with me. I always thought that my personality was changing but then I realized it was something entirely different: A different person. No, it was still me but different – **separated**.

And right at that moment she tried to stretch and grow inside me – to take over my body and mind – but she felt too weak to manage it yet.

_'__You will not give up! This is not how we will meet our end! No way', _she screamed at me.

Her anger gave me a boost of strength and coupled with my fear it was a good motivator to fight and stay alive.

And I fought!

I threw my body to the left and right, put my elbows to use and tried to catch him off balance; I tried to bang the back of my head into his face and used my fingers as claws.

Oh, I landed a few good blows – I was sure of it – but Renée held on and didn't once lose his hold on me.

I felt myself slipping away and with it the hope of my survival. My body was not strong enough to fight him anymore. My lungs were burning from lack of oxygen and I could barely see anything. _So this is how it feels to die._ Not exactly how I envisioned it but I couldn't do anything about it anymore.

And what would happen then? Once I was dead he would leave without a trace, probably leave Bon Temps entirely and start killing elsewhere and if not he would go home as if nothing had happened; they would trust him because he was such a 'good and kind' man and in the meantime my gran would come home and discover my body and would have yet another family member to bury.

**_'_****_No'_**, the word echoed in my head.

Another surge of anger went through me at the thought that I would lose my life at the hands of that bastard. Especially when I tried every precaution I could think of in such a short amount of time. I even bought the damn pepper spray and couldn't use…

The pepper spray!

That thought gave me the last reserves of strength to brace my body against Renée's. Somehow I managed to shove him backwards against the dryer. I ripped the pepper spray out of my jeans pocket and sprayed it in the direction of his face.

Apparently I hit my mark because he finally lost his hold on me and cried out, "You bitch, I will kill you!"

For two precious seconds all I could do was get the desperately needed oxygen into my lungs but my relief was short lived when he made an attempt at grabbing me again. He couldn't really see so he missed me but it finally got me back into action.

**_'_****_Move'_**, the other Sookie commanded.

I jumped out of the way and without thinking I lunged for the laundry detergent. I grabbed the handle, swung the bottle around and hit him in the shoulder and side of his head. He stumbled backwards and to the floor but caught himself with his hands. I didn't wait for him to get up again. I banged the kitchen door open and ran inside. My eyes found the fridge first so I threw the door open and grabbed the first things that were in my way. The first thing that went flying at the bastard, who was already through the door, was a carton of milk then the eggs, vegetables and even a pitcher of sweet tea.

I didn't know if the food hit its target but the glass pitcher hit him square in the chest. He was knocked backwards and the glass shattered into a million pieces while the liquid splashed everywhere. At least a few fragments hit him in the face and made him bleed. But even that didn't hinder him from getting to me. His face was distorted into an evil smirk like he knew I wouldn't escape him.

Fuck! He was a damn maniac! A crazed maniac!

I could see it in his eyes: this dark, wild thing that had eradicated every last bit of rational human being. He was out to kill and he would stop at nothing until he had done the job: it was kill or be killed. It was like the old Renée, the one who was friends with my brother and a good father to Arlene's kids, didn't exist anymore. It was like he had two personalities, like a schizophrenic.

At that realization I knew I would have to kill him myself if help didn't get there quickly. I cursed myself again for not contacting Eric sooner. Even with his vampire speed or the pedal to the metal he would still need 20 to 30 minutes to get here.

Well, hell! I couldn't do anything about it.

So I frantically looked around the room for some kind of weapon. The shotgun was in the hallway closet so it was out of the question because Renée was between me and the gun.

As my gaze swept over the kitchen counter I finally – **finally** – saw the big knife screaming for my attention. It must have been a leftover from Maxine's cooking and I could have kissed her at that moment.

I made a run for it and almost crashed to the ground when my shoes couldn't get enough grip on the slippery floor. I slid to the counter and my fingers grabbed the knife.

"You are so dead, you bitch," I heard directly behind me.

I jumped around - while holding the knife in front of me – just in time to see Renée making a mad dash … directly into the blade.

For a tiny second the world seemed to stand still. Renée's face was frozen into this angry mask. He hadn't even registered what had happened yet. I could feel the knife enter his body like it would cut into butter: I will never forget that horrible feeling.

Then, just like that, time rushed forward again and I didn't even have time to brace myself as he crashed into me full force. My back was thrown into the edge of the counter and a deep pain rolled up my spine. I couldn't even form a scream because my throat was raw from the strangulation.

With the pain and all that had happened in the last few minutes the last bit of energy finally left my body. My knees buckled and with the extra weight of Renée my feet slipped on the wet floor.

As luck would have it I banged my head against the counter before we fell into a heap on the floor.

Then everything went black.

* * *

><p>I could hear voices in the distance; they sounded muffled, like I had cotton in my ears. Confused, I tried to remember what had happened but I couldn't come up with anything. My mind was a complete blank.<p>

Nothing. Nada.

Or maybe it was because my brain wanted to break through my skull judging by the jackhammer pounding in my head. The pain was blinding and it weighed my body down. My limbs felt like they weighed a ton … and I couldn't breathe.

What the hell was going on?

"Sookeh," someone called.

"I'm here," I wanted to say but my lips wouldn't move at all. I couldn't move anything. It was like I was paralyzed and I could feel the weakness settle in my bones.

"Sookie," another voice called and this time it was closer. It was male and sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. I knew I should have known who it was but my mind seemed to be hiking through mud.

I heard a commotion and a lot of muffled voices, "Get out of the way, Compton," the same voice as before snarled. Then a few moments later a weight was lifted off me.

Finally I could breathe freely again and as I sucked the much needed oxygen into my lungs the fog in my mind slowly seemed to clear as well.

Then I heard a woman cry, "Oh my god, Sookie!"

"Adele, I told you to stay in the living room and call the police! You shouldn't see this!" The male's voice – Eric's, thank god - had so much authority in his tone that even I wanted to stand at attention and yell "Sir, yes, sir," while saluting.

Something about Gran being there bugged me though. She shouldn't have seen that … shouldn't have seen **me** like that … in the kitchen … which was a mess … because…

My eyes snapped open and I croaked out, "Renée," in a strangled whisper. My throat felt like it was on fire and even more so when I swallowed.

Eric, who was hovering over me, understood me regardless. "He's dead," he said as he nodded toward where he had tossed the body.

I closed my eyes again in relief. Thank god, it was over. Maybe I should have felt guilt that I'd killed a person but I couldn't. Not when that person had killed three people and had tried to murder me as well. I knew I was lucky that I came out of it alive: It had been a choice between me and him and I chose me.

I opened my eyes again and caught Eric's gaze. The relief and softness I saw on his face made my heart beat faster and a thousand butterflies started to flutter in my stomach. Did he care about me? Not just professionally but privately as well? Could he really like me for **me** and not just the telepathic curiosity that seemed to lighten his boredom? I knew that something was happening between us; an affection that was more than lust but I didn't know if he felt it as well.

The first time I had laid eyes on him I had known that he would change my life and not necessarily in a bad way. And I had the feeling the connection between us – and I wasn't thinking only about the blood tie we had – went deeper than affection between two people. He was changing me mentally and physically as well. I didn't know how, I didn't know why – yet – but I was going to find out. We were going to have a serious and long talk once this whole mess was over.

"You are a troublemaker, Ms. Stackhouse. I have a feeling you will keep me on my toes. I like it," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows but his eyes still had not lost the soft look.

I snorted, or at least I tried. The wince that accompanied the sound seemed to wake up my body as it remembered that it was pretty banged up. The pain only made me wince more.

_Fuck you, Renée!_

"Let me heal you, Sookie," Eric offered with concern in his voice and his wrist poised at his mouth, only waiting for me to say yes.

I pondered that for a minute or two, unsure. Oh, I was tempted, believe me. The pain was really bad but I knew the police needed to see what Renée had done to me or they would think I killed him in cold blood. Oh yes, you heard me right: Andy would never believe me if he didn't see the evidence with his own eyes. He would probably turn it around on me: either make me the serial killer or Jason's accomplice; I wouldn't put it past him. That way he would get rid of both of us.

So no, as much as I wanted to take Eric's offer, I couldn't; at least not yet. I shook my head and pointed in the general direction of the dead body with my eyes; trying to make him understand.

He followed my gaze, "Ah yes. The police need the evidence and with what I've seen of Mr. Bellefleur's detective skills I don't expect him to come to the right conclusions without it."

Could he read my mind now that we had a connection? The thought sounded scary.

"Can you sit up?"

I carefully nodded and Eric helped me into a sitting position. Though my body hurt all over nothing seemed broken, thank god for that. Though my clothes felt disgustingly sticky on my skin because of the wet floor I had laid on but I bigger problems to care about that.

I took a look around the room and for the first time registered, with some form of detachment, the mess I had made. Food, liquid and blood were everywhere, on the cabinets, the floor and the furniture. But I didn't care about any of it because when I looked at the dead body that had been Renée I still felt nothing but a deep sense of relief. Relief that it was over and I was still alive; and judging from the knife sticking out of his gut, a tiny, tiny sense of rightness deep inside me that he got what he deserved.

That thought disturbed me though. How could I feel satisfaction that someone had suffered? Someone who had died at my hands? True, it was self-defense - either him or me – but I still killed a man.

Shock rolled through my body.

I. Killed. A. Man.

As these words finally settled in my mind I started shaking like a leaf. The magnitude of what had just happened shocked me to my core. My breath became quicker as panic overruled my thoughts. I replayed the scene of Renée running into the knife over and over; the sickening feeling of flesh giving way and the coppery smell of blood gushing out of the wound. What had I done? What would happen now? What…

Cold hands grabbed my face and suddenly lips covered mine in a toe curling kiss. Another kind of shock crashed over my body as Eric kissed me like I had never been kissed before. His lips were cool yet soft and it was such an erotic combination that my body began to warm up like it had a fever. Passion and electric desire flared between us and I could feel the bond between us humming with the same energy.

When I gasped in surprise he took advantage and took control of my mouth with both his lips and his tongue. I had no other choice but to hang on for dear life.

Cookie had woken up by then and she made it abundantly clear that she wanted to play as well. A surge went through my body and I found myself returning his kiss with equal wild abandon. Our tongues battled for dominance which neither of us could win; we didn't want to.

Eric was the first to break the kiss. I was panting for breath as he leaned his forehead against mine and said, "I'm proud of you. You fought like a Valkyrie of my time would have. Nothing of this is your fault. You defended yourself. It was either you or him and I'm glad it was you."

It was like I was doused with cold water. For a few precious seconds I'd completely forgotten what had happened. Apparently he had felt my near panic attack and had decided to distract me; which he did in a most effective, and erotic, way.

I looked him in the eyes … and what I saw made me hold my breath. The stormy ocean was back. But the image was more vivid and colorful than before: the waves of the ocean were darker, wilder and … were there thunderclouds in the distance? The salt on my tongue seemed spicier as well and I could smell the air charged with energy. My skin began to tingle and this something – or someone – in me seemed to reach out as if it wanted to touch him and I felt her … longing.

"Your eyes," I whispered, mesmerized.

"Yes," he answered but I had the feeling it was an answer to a question I hadn't asked yet.

"Sookie," I heard my grandmother say. Breaking out of my trance I turned my head and saw her leaning heavily against the doorway. She was deathly pale and seemed to be shaking all over. Now that I looked at her I remembered her voice had sounded too thin as well.

"Gran," I croaked out, "Are you okay?" Concerned for her I tried to stand up but only managed it with Eric's help. My back was screaming at me that it didn't appreciate the treatment but I barely registered it as I made my way over to her.

I didn't make it.

She suddenly gripped her chest, her eyes rolled back into her head and then she collapsed.

I heard myself scream as Eric zoomed past me and caught her before she could hit the floor.

He laid her gently on the floor then felt for a pulse at her throat.

"Oh my god, Gran," I cried. I was rooted to the spot and could do nothing but watch. Eric cursed then ripped the upper half of her dress open before he started CPR.

Oh god, no. No!

"Sookie, can you do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?" The authority in his tone made me surge forward. It was not even a question, just a nicely wrapped command.

And I was thankful for that because I didn't think I could have functioned on my own right then.

I dropped to the floor opposite him and did what he told me to do and when to do it.

In the background I could hear sirens speeding down our street then the driveway and it was the longest minutes, or hours – I didn't know anymore – of my life before the police and paramedics rushed through the door.

I was shoved out of the way and I could hear voices all around me but I couldn't register anything. I had tunnel vision and only saw the lifeless body of my gran on that floor – not moving, not breathing, not anything.

Eric wrapped me in his arms and that broke the dam: I sagged against him and wept silent tears. Tears of shock, tears of relief and most of all tears of loss because I knew deep down that after that horrible day nothing would ever be the same again.

Even after I observed how they revived her and laid her on a stretcher to get her in an ambulance the feeling didn't go away.

I wanted to go with her but they said there was no room and that I needed to wait for the other ambulance which they had called for me. I protested but even Eric said it would be for the best. I gave up and made my peace with it.

After my gran was out of their way and on her way to the hospital the room erupted into chaos. It was a scene like I'd only ever seen in a movie or a tv show, just with much less professionalism.

Meanwhile the other ambulance had arrived and I was examined while Sheriff Dearborn and Andy interrogated me – yes, that's exactly the right word for it. After they went through the whole evening twice and asked the same questions over and over again, I'd had enough. I opened my mouth but before I could bite their heads off Eric sprang into action and glamoured them into silence.

That didn't mean they were silent in their heads though: _All her fault … fangbanger … wouldn't have happened to Adele … shame, can't pin this on them_.

I don't know whether it was the roller coaster of a day or the pent-up rage over the years that made me snap. Tremendous fury consumed me and made me get up from the stretcher. The paramedic protested and Eric had to help steady me because I was wobbly on my feet. Not being able to move the way I normally would just added to my anger and my pride took a hit when I wouldn't stand tall and strong in front of those two idiots. I knew that I was doing my body more harm than good and was going to pay for it later but I so didn't care about it right then. I marched forward – or hobbled was more like it - to the doorway to the kitchen where Andy and Bud were standing and talking in hushed voices.

Once again I could feel this strange stretching in me as if another person lived inside my body and wanted to take control but was still not strong enough. I ignored that feeling though because I had reached my target and finally exploded.

I didn't care that my voice was hoarse and scratchy, at best, from so much talking, "You think it's my fault he attacked me? You have the nerve to accuse **me**? I was the one who pointed out that Drew Marshall is the murderer." I pointed with a surprisingly steady finger to the dead body, "Renée Lanier **is** Drew Marshall! But you did nothing, absolutely nothing! Even worse, you talked about an ongoing investigation in public: you went to Merlotte's and joked about it. You told everyone what I'd said at the station, even the suspect's name. Renée was in the bar at the time while you made fun of me and he left shortly after that to follow me to Shreveport. You, Andy Bellefleur, made me the target, not I," I screamed at him. I knew it came out more like a loud whisper and that made me even angrier. I got right in his face – or at least I tried.

Arms as hard as steel wrapped around my waist and held me against Eric's hard body while his cold hands covered mine.

"Shhh," he whispered in my ear.

I ignored him and fixed my stare with Andy's. An invisible hand seemed to reach for the star that symbolized my connection with the vampire behind me. Eric became rigid as if he had felt it. Then something seemed to snap into place as I hissed at my opponent, "If my gran dies because of this, I will make you responsible for it. I will make sure you know you have blood on your hands for the rest of your sorry life!"

"Sookie, stop it. Your hands and eyes are glowing. Calm down!" Eric's voice seemed strained as he murmured in my ear.

That shook me out of my trance. They did what?

Before I even registered the meaning I was turned around and pressed into his chest as if he wanted to conceal me from the other people in the room.

For the first time I was engulfed in Eric's very own scent: a stormy ocean in the winter; just like I'd seen in his eyes. Why hadn't I smelled that before? Or maybe I had but never registered it because of what was going on around us at the time?

It didn't matter anyway; my body seemed to accept it as the signal to collapse. All the adrenaline and energy I had left in me just disappeared.

Eric swept me up in his arms and carried me outside to the waiting ambulance.

My night didn't seem to be over though, not by a long shot, "Sookeh!"

God no, please no. Not now. Not ever again! I was so sick of his nasally, whiny voice. Would he ever give up? I had zero tolerance or patience left in me to deal with that imbecile.

"Go away, Bill! I can't deal with your shit right now," I rasped tiredly.

"Sookeh, look what you've done to yourself: You're injured. Why didn't you run to my house? You would have been safe there."

The way he said that made my skin crawl. Yeah, maybe safe from Renée but at what price? To be imprisoned by Bill so he could force his blood into me or god knows what else?

I shuddered.

The things I had discovered earlier in the evening came back to the forefront of my mind. He had either colluded with Renée and Arlene or he had manipulated and glamoured them to do his bidding, I was sure of it and it was all the same anyway. He was as guilty as the other two.

The only thing was I couldn't prove it. Or at least I didn't think so. I needed to talk to Eric about it but not now. Now I needed Bill to go away so I could get to the hospital and find out my grandmother's condition.

I turned to Eric and tried to make him understand with a meaningful eye roll toward Bill that he needed to remove that imbecile from my property. He was the Sheriff after all, right?

Eric smirked at me in understanding, then turned to the unwanted insect, "Mr. Compton, the Lady doesn't want any vampire insects in her backyard or anywhere else on her property so 'shoo shoo'," yes, he used his hands to emphasize his words, "run along and crawl back under the rock where you hide yourself when you'ŕe not pestering her or I will take you there myself."

Bill didn't seem to like that one bit, "I don't take orders from you. If Sookeh doesn't want me near her, she'll need to tell me that herself."

Uh oh, wrong thing to say!

Eric stood straighter and arched an eyebrow almost into his hairline.

That should have been warning enough, but Bill was not finished yet. He even took a step closer and had this calculating look in his eyes. "You know Sookeh, if you really were Eric's pet, he would have at least had the decency to heal your injuries. It is blasphemy to leave something like this unattended," I could see in his eyes that he was lying through his teeth but he wasn't finished, "Come, let me do that for you, let me heal your wounds." And what he did next left me staring at him open mouthed: He actually had the audacity to bite into his wrist and shove it right in front of my face.

I was flabbergasted at his brazen act and if it was not for Eric's fast reflexes, Bill's blood would actually have touched my lips. But Eric grabbed him by the throat and shook him like a ragdoll.

If possible Eric stood even taller and his face was a dark mask of rage. I gulped and … was the air charging with energy? Huh, must be my imagination.

"How dare you," he thundered, and yes, it really sounded like thunder at that moment, "disobey my order? How dare you try to force the sacred blood on an unwilling human and in front of your Sheriff!? There will be consequences," his fangs snapped down and he got right in Bill's face, snarling, "You. Will. Leave. Right. NOW!" Then he tossed Bill almost fifty feet away from us.

_Wowza, is it just me or is it getting hot all of a sudden?_ I had the urge to fan myself. Even Cookie seemed to agree because she started purring.

Bill was either really brave or really stupid right then because he seemed to want to be difficult, like a petulant child, for a moment before he thought better of it and skulked off in the direction of the cemetery. He actually stood at the boundary of my property and glared defiantly at his better; at **my** Eric.

I sighed in relief when he stalked off.

Finally.

* * *

><p>The next two hours went by faster than I thought they would. Eric rode with me in the ambulance – he probably glamoured the paramedics – and once we arrived at the hospital he never left my side once. It felt like he was my personal watchdog that night. And honestly, I was very grateful for that. Without him, I would probably have waited all night before someone took the time to look me over at all. It took him just a flash of his pretty fangs and all of a sudden doctors and nurses were flying around me like bees around their queen.<p>

After countless exams, tests, x-rays and many pictures and samples of my injuries they wanted to keep me overnight but I vehemently refused. I would not be kept in a bed all night while wondering how my grandmother was.

No, I needed to be by her side.

That's exactly what I did. After signing a form that I released myself against medical advice Eric and I made our way up to the cardiac unit.

While we waited for the elevator I tried to distract myself from what would await me up there. Anything was better than silence and the thoughts that would unavoidably surface. So I tried to force my mind back to rational thinking and go back to what had happened that night, "The vampire you had for my protection was gone when I arrived home tonight, Eric."

He nodded pensively, "I already have Pam investigating his disappearance. He was either abducted or killed between your phone call with Pam and the time you returned from the meeting."

I swallowed hard and hoped that the vampire was not killed because of me. He was just ordered to protect me and didn't do anything to warrant his death. How could that have happened anyway? He was a vampire for Christ's sake! He was strong and only Eric and Pam knew about him. Yeah sure Bill lived next door but would he be able to … Oh my god! "Bill was waiting in the tree line last night when you told me you would have a vampire in the woods and he arrived late for the meeting tonight. He said he had car trouble," I said and then told him the short version of what had happened and what I suspected between him, Renée and Arlene.

Eric's face became a mask of rage as he heard that. Thank god we were in the elevator by then so no-one saw the scary vampire.

He started to pace the small confines of the cabin, "I suspected something like that already. When I arrived at your home earlier he was pacing the back porch and muttering something that sounded like 'should not have happened that way' before he registered that I had arrived."

I wrapped my arms around myself, not knowing whether I was using it as a shield from the outside world or protecting Eric from the rage that wanted to consume me. I had a feeling Bill's machinations went far deeper than anyone thought. Something was going on, something regarding me, and it drove me crazy that I didn't know what it was. The pile of unanswered questions and mysteries to solve went higher and higher every minute that passed.

"What will you do about him," I asked because I couldn't imagine him letting this slide. But did I really want to know?

Eric's lips twisted into a very scary and evil smile, "Oh, don't worry about that. Concentrate on your grandmother and let me play Sheriff."

I shuddered but before I could say anything though the elevator doors opened and we stepped out into cardiac unit.

Unfortunately my night turned into an even bigger nightmare after that. Gran's doctor told me that she had suffered a bad heart attack and it weakened her heart too much for her to survive the night.

It felt like I had the bottom drop out of my world and I was falling into a black hole. _This couldn't be happening! Why was this happening?_

Seemingly in a daze I watched her through the window that separated the hallway and the room she was laying in. Gran looked frail in her hospital bed and the stark white sheets made her look deathly pale; not to mention all the wires and machines surrounding her.

I couldn't believe that the woman who raised me and was my rock for the last twenty years was going to die. I couldn't comprehend it; I didn't **want to** understand or even believe it.

"Sookie," Eric startled me out of my melancholy. I looked up to him through misty eyes. "Let me heal you before you go in there. The police has all the evidence they need now. I don't want you to suffer unnecessary."

Maybe I did need to. I had killed a man tonight. It didn't matter that he was out to get me but because of my carelessness my gran was going to die. I think I was punishing myself for this with pain.

So I just shook my head and said, "No, but thank you, Eric. I really appreciate you offering."

I took a deep breath to get some strength, then went inside and took a seat next to the bed. Eric was like a silent shadow behind me but I barely registered him.

Gran opened her eyes slowly as I sat down. She looked exhausted but her eyes were as clear and sharp as ever, "Sookie, darling. Are you okay?" Her voice sounded raspy and frail and I was once again confronted with the thought of losing her.

"Yes, Gran. It's just minor injuries, looks worse than it is."

"Good, that's good." She shook her head slightly, "Don't understand how Renée could do this."

I took her hand in mine, "Don't worry about it, Gran. All you need to concentrate on is getting well again."

She looked at me shrewdly, "You know as well as I do that I'm not coming home, Sookie."

Shock rolled through my body and I let out a strangled sob. It was bad enough to hear something like that from a doctor but it was entirely different to hear it from the very person who's affected, "No, you will recover! There are ways to heal you," I said while vehemently shaking my head. How could she say that? Did she not want to get better?

As I said the word 'heal', I remembered how Eric had offered to heal me just a few moments ago. I know he said that the vampire blood was sacred and they wouldn't give it to just anybody. I just hoped he would make an exception and it wasn't too much to ask of him. On the other hand I was grasping at straws.

I turned around to Eric who was leaning against the window in the shadows, "Eric, could you give her some of your blood? Would that heal her?" I looked at him pleadingly and hoped that he would help me.

Eric sighed, an uncharacteristic gesture from him, and said, "I would heal her and I would have so earlier when she'd collapsed. I asked her last night already when you got her a glass of water but she declined."

An even bigger shock rolled through me that he had asked her of his own volition and that she had declined his generous offer.

I turned around to give my grandmother a tongue lashing but what I saw on her face made me pause. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as I looked back over the last few days and then months. There were little clues here and there, her getting slower, her being more tired than usual, her being short of breath sometimes and then last night her refusing to go to the hospital at all. How did I not see it coming? I was a telepath for goodness' sake but I hadn't seen it. Or did I not want to see it?

I gulped, then whispered, "You knew?"

She just looked at me sadly which just broke my heart, "I didn't know but I've suspected it for a while now."

"But why didn't you go to the doctor?"

She just shook her head instead of answering me, "It's time for me to go, Sookie. I'm tired and I want to be with my loved ones. It's **time**."

I shook my head, not understanding why she was giving up so easily, "What about Jason and me? We need you!"

Gran smiled fondly, "No, you don't need me anymore. Look at you, all grown up; you made something of yourself. And I think you have finally found the one thing you were looking for all your life, you just didn't know what it was." She said the last part with a smile on her face and a look to where Eric was standing.

I blushed scarlet. Was she implying that Eric and I … but how would she even know that? She had only known him for 24 hours. Her words implied that she was pretty sure about that. It just confused me.

I sucked in a startled breath when a cold hand landed on my shoulder and a thumb stroked my neck in a soothing gesture, "I will wait outside the door," Eric said softly. I could only nod without looking at him. I was scared to see the look on his face after her dropping that bomb.

I took a shuddering breath when I heard the soft whoosh of the closing door. "What about Jason? I don't think I can handle him alone."

"Yes you can. It's time to think about yourself now. You're not living for your brother or even for me, but for yourself. And I know you are destined for greatness.

"Jason is not your problem anymore, he never really has been; your sweet self just took up his cause and made it your own.

"He's a grown man and he needs to stand on his own two feet. You can't rescue him every time he gets into trouble. Jason needs to do that himself. Promise me that, Sookie!"

"Okay," I said in a strangled whisper. Tears ran down my face. I tried to smile at her but I don't know if I was successful.

Gran squeezed my hand and looked me square in the eye. She seemed … nervous for some reason, "Sookie, there's something I need to tell you." She sighed and I gave her my full attention. I had a feeling this was something fundamental, something that would turn my life upside down: A knot formed in my stomach. "I've lied to you. I'm so sorry, I was instructed not to tell you anything until the time was right," she paused and seemed to ponder how to tell me whatever it was.

"Gran, you don't need to tell me when it's so hard for you!"

"No Sookie. I've carried it around with for so long now, I need to get this off my chest."

Confused about what could be such a burden I said, "Alright." I tried to stay out of her head because it really seemed important to her. That way I could give her a chance to say it out loud.

"Your grandfather, Sookie … your grandpa Mitchell is not your real grandfather. I'm really sorry. You have no idea how it ate away at me not to tell you the truth … but I couldn't … I was not allowed to…" She started blabbing and I could see on the monitor that her heart rate was picking up. She became agitated when she thought I would not understand and that I wouldn't be able to forgive her. I plucked that right out of her head that time. I didn't mean to but I couldn't help it at that point.

I became scared and tried to calm her down, though I was pretty damn shocked at what she had just revealed, "Ssshh, Gran. Calm down! It's okay, I'm not angry. I still love you, no matter what."

A few minutes passed before she had calmed down enough to continue her speech and for me to not bite my fingernails in fear anymore. Though I could see that this little episode had weakened her even more. I cursed myself for even letting it get that far. "There … there are things in an old desk in the attic … letters and other things that will explain everything. You need to find it as soon as possible. I'm really sorry that you had to find out this way. You will probably hate me once you realize what's really going on."

I didn't know what to make of the last comment but I would think about that later. "Gran, it's really okay. I'm not angry with you, please believe me." All the little clues Eric had given me the last couple of days made so much more sense right then. The way I had always felt different, especially when the vampires revealed themselves, made that feeling so much stronger. So the fact that grandpa Mitchell was not my real grandfather shouldn't have really surprised me, should it? I needed to know, so I took a deep breath to get some courage and said, "I already have a suspicion what this is about: I'm not entirely human, am I?"

Gran sighed and couldn't look me in the eye for a moment. That was all the confirmation I needed though.

"It's fine, Gran, really! I could never hate you, no matter what you think you did, no matter what this is about and no matter what is to come, alright? I love you," I assured her and at that moment I meant every single word.

Gran seemed to recognize it as well. She smiled at me gratefully and nodded.

Then it was I who became nervous, "It seems it's time for confessions and I one of my own, Gran. I know for a few days now but there was never time to tell you. Hell, with everything going on…"

"Baby girl, you're blabbing. It may seem like I have all the time in the world but I don't." Was that her attempt at making a joke? I couldn't believe how she could take her dying so laid-back, so easy going as if she was looking forward to it. I had to restrain myself from breaking down in sobs again.

I swallowed a big lump and blurted out, "I found Hadley."

Her eyes became wide as saucers and her mouth dropped open before it formed into a radiant and relieved smile. Oh, how I was going to miss that. "Where? Where is she? She's well, right?"

I had to hold myself back from rolling my eyes, "Yes, alive and very well as it seems. She lives in New Orleans now and is very close with Eric's … boss."

Her eyes perked up even more if it was possible, "Hadley's with a vampire?" She nodded and smiled to herself, "Two of my dear babies are with vampires. If only your brother would come around and see the light."

I grimaced because I didn't see that happening, ever. And just to be on the safe side I withhold the information about Hadley being more than buddy buddy with a female vampire. Not that Gran would be prejudiced about homosexuality, it didn't matter to her at all; hell my dear friend Lafayette was as flamboyant as they came and she loved him as if he was her own grandson. I just had no patience for her endless questions about it. Not that I knew anything about it anyway. I knew I sounded selfish but I didn't want to discuss my ungrateful cousin if it was the last few hours I had left with my gran.

"Thank you for telling me this, sweetheart. It feels like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders," she said and then her eyelids drooped, "I'm really tired, Sookie. I'm going to close my eyes for a few minutes."

I gulped, "Okay Gran," I squeaked out, scared that that would be my last moment with her.

But she surprised me, "Don't worry, I'm not giving my last breath until I give that brother of yours a last tongue lashing," she smiled weakly. I let out a strangled laugh but I'm sure it came out more like a sob. Tears were flowing freely again because I could just imagine her doing that. And I would do that as well when I had him alone.

Apparently the night before had repeated itself. Eric had been nice enough to call Jason before we drove to the hospital. Of course no-one answered so he was forced to leave a message on the voicemail. We'd been at the hospital for hours at that point and Jason was still not there.

It took him a half hour more to finally arrive, and with a bang – literally. I could already hear him when he was coming down the corridor, "Where is she? Where is my gran?" I heard him say as he came closer. But it became eerily silent just a moment before the door opened and a very angry vampire – fangs down in a snarl and all – came in while dragging a disheveled and mute Jason in behind him by his shirt collar, much like you would drag a muddy dog to the tub for a bath.

I had to cover my mouth with a hand to not laugh out loud at the scene in front of me. It was not a laughing matter that Gran was laying there dying.

I gave Eric a grateful smile and he winked back at me before he closed the door again.

Everything after that was pretty much a blur. Gran woke up again and when she saw Jason finally sitting next to me she really gave him the tongue lashing he would likely never forget as long as he lived.

At the end of it all we were both sobbing as we said good-bye and we told her one last time how much we loved her. She fell back asleep right after that and it took only a few minutes longer before her heart finally gave out.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you so much for your support on this story! I love your reviews ;)

This chapter is dedicated to Angela Vaughn aka EricIzMine. She passed away almost a year ago and with her, we lost one of the most talented writers in and outside the SVM/TB community.

Also the lovely Breathesgirl will not only be my BETA but my CO-WRITER as well from now on.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Chapter 10:

The three days after Gran died were probably the most difficult of my life. It was hard to leave the hospital after Gran's death. I didn't know if it was because I didn't want to leave her body behind or if I didn't want to go back home to the mess in the kitchen and all the reminders that led to that point in time, including Bill.

The latter was easily solved: after Eric suggested that I shouldn't be alone for the next few days I temporarily moved in with my brother.

Our parents' house was left to us when they died and he moved in the moment he turned 18. Not only would I feel better having somebody else around but I had a mild concussion amongst all my injuries and shouldn't have been left alone anyway. So this was more to make sure I had somebody with me who would conceivably help me than anything else. Although the idea of Jason helping me do anything more than clear the leftovers out of the fridge was laughable.

It was strange to sleep in my old room again. Not much had changed over the years and memories – good and bad – of old times started to surface when I laid down on my old bed. The familiar feel of the mattress made me remember a sleepover I'd had with Tara, my childhood friend. We had built a cave with blankets and pillows and crawled under it with a flashlight and our favorite picture books. I also remembered the tea parties I had with her and our dolls and other good things. But there were bad memories as well.

Memories of my mother who had never liked me. She thought I was not right in the head and had wondered, aloud and silently, why god had punished her with a daughter like me. She had pretty much ignored me since the day I started to talk and she realized that I was different somehow. With that thought my mind jumped to the next nightmare: Uncle Bartlett. His thoughts had been beyond nasty. Even as a young child, I was really young, maybe 4 or 5 when he started, I had recognized that something wasn't quite right when an adult would picture your naked body and how he wanted to touch you.

I had told my mother once not too long after it started but she didn't believe me; she even slapped me and banned me from the library for a full week because she thought I was reading age inappropriate books.

Surprisingly she even gave the librarian an earful for allowing such a young child anywhere near the adult books.

I never spoke of it again – with her – but after my parents died and we went to live with my gran I confided in her. The next time that bastard visited she got out her shotgun and threatened to riddle him with it if he ever came back. With that fond memory of Gran defending me that day the water works started and I cried myself to sleep.

Eric – surprisingly - was my rock in the days leading up to the funeral even though I didn't see him even once. Even though he couldn't be there during the daylight hours he made it abundantly clear that he cared and was still thinking of me: He had apparently called a funeral home in Shreveport so when the morning of the day after Gran's death rolled around and a black haired beauty named Claudine knocked on my brother's front door we were astonished that Eric had hired someone to assist me in organizing the funeral.

I was so grateful at that moment that I hugged her as hard as I could and probably thanked her a thousand times over. I also heard from her thoughts that even though Jason was supposed to be family her employer didn't trust him to stay with me until I was better so he was paying her extra to sort of act as a nurse along with her usual duties.

I would need to do something for Eric when I saw him but that was a thought for another time; I'd probably give him the world's longest hug or something.

With Claudine's help it was thankfully easy to organize Gran's funeral and I had much more time to mourn her that way. And mourn her I did. Even when I was not in my own home there were reminders everywhere that had me tearing up: The lack of the smell of breakfast when waking up in the morning, Gran calling me for lunch or dinner or the lack of fresh flowers on the table.

Again the latter was rectified by Eric: Every day there was a small bouquet of daisies delivered and the cards, each one handwritten and signed by him, were probably the sweetest thing anybody had ever done for me.

I think his thoughtfulness during a time when I most needed my friends and family was the straw that broke the camel's back.

In those moments when I needed something else to think about, something to lighten my mood even a little bit, I would ponder Eric, my feelings and thoughts towards him, his actions towards me and I realized that I was falling in love with him; hook, line and sinker! The time seemed so wrong for such feelings but you couldn't do anything about it when it hit you.

After the funeral Jason and I grew further apart. He didn't say it but he thought that if I hadn't been 'seen with them damn fangers' Gran would still be alive and he wouldn't have had to give up some of his precious freedom to let his sister stay with him for a few days. It didn't matter that family helps family if and when they can; it only mattered that he couldn't bring a girl home for those few days I was there.

I didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore because we'd had that conversation twice already – or was it three times? I couldn't remember – and I had the feeling I was talking in circles anyway, so I let him be. If he wanted to blame me for everything that had happened then so be it. Besides, hadn't I promised Gran that I would let him make his own mistakes and take care of his own self instead of offering him a ladder to climb out of the hole he'd dug for himself? So I decided I didn't care anymore, not right then anyway. Maybe later when the dust had settled, so to speak, I would try to talk to him again.

It also didn't seem to matter that I cleaned his house, top to bottom, as a way of saying thank you since I didn't really have the money to put towards anything else and, at that point, it was still half my house anyway!

Cleaning did help me though. It allowed me to feel useful and my brain was able to shut off for a little bit; I could just go on autopilot and let my hands do their work while my brain took a little vacation.

Sam, Tara and Lafayette were good friends during that black period of my life. When tragedy struck it seemed to bring to light the people you could rely on and those you couldn't.

One of them would stop by each day, sometime after lunch, bring me some little something to eat so they could make sure I was at least eating something, and they would share a little bit of gossip, let me cry on their shoulder or they would listen while I remembered little things about Gran. Then they would give me a hug, a pat on the back and they would leave me to my grieving.

The day of the funeral matched my mood when I woke up; it was grey and overcast and just not a very pretty day.

As the time to put my Gran in her final resting place grew nearer the weather lightened up a little and the sun shone lazily through the hazy rain clouds. When the Reverend started speaking a lark started singing and continued to sing until the last words were spoken then, when the first shovelful of dirt was dropped on her coffin, a rainbow broke through the mist and ended right on her grave.

I was finally able to smile then. Gran had always believed in the myths everybody else poo-pooed at and the myth of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was one of her favorites: Maybe now she's found her pot of gold.

I didn't know it at the time, and I'm glad I didn't for I would surely have made a huge scene, but Jason had invited Gran's brother, Bartlett, to the funeral. His reasoning was sound: He figured her brother should know and attend her funeral.

Jason just didn't know why Gran had banished him from our lives, only that she had so he invited the bastard.

His thoughts then were just as vile as they had been when I was just a little girl; only now I was able to understand just how wrong those thoughts had been back then.

I made sure to sit on the opposite side of Jason just so I would have a little bit of space from him. I was able to ignore him for the most part and enjoy the service, at least as much as one can enjoy such a thing when it is one of your loved ones being buried.

After the funeral we assembled in the community building for the Reception. I didn't want them in the house because there were just too many people and I hadn't been home since I returned from the hospital. And more importantly, I didn't want them in the house because even though they may have respected and liked my grandmother that didn't mean that I liked and respected them.

While it's true that most people will respect the dead and generally not say anything nasty and they will respect their belongings, that doesn't mean everyone is kind and respectful. Most of them would most likely make a showing so it would look like they were being respectful, devour the free food then disappear again, only to show up at the next funeral; and so the cycle goes.

I didn't remember hiring a caterer to supply all that food and when I tracked down Claudine, who had shown to make sure everything was as I wanted it, she said she hadn't hired them either.

I finally managed to corner one of the catering staff and they said that an Eric Northman had hired them. That brought tears to my eyes for about the millionth time that week but they were actually happy tears.

That was probably the most grateful I had been for anything Eric had done since Claudine appeared at the front door; hiring a caterer meant more to me than just about anything. Not only did it mean I didn't have to find a place to put all the leftovers, it also meant no Jell-O molds, no greasy fried chicken and no cleaning and returning dishes. It also meant none of Caroline Bellfleur's special chocolate cake which was a shame since it always made such an occasion a little brighter.

I didn't know how Eric knew what I needed but when I finally got home I was going to bring out my prettiest paper and write him a long letter of thanks for everything he had done for me.

When I finally got tired of the reception line and Jason's and everybody else's thoughts I slipped out of the hall, got in my car and drove home to Gran's.

I sat there for what seemed like a very long time and just stared at the place that had been home for two thirds of my life and cried there in the silence and privacy of my car.

When the tears finally stopped I got out and turned toward the cemetery; all the equipment was gone so they must have finished filling in the grave so I locked my car and walked slowly forward.

I didn't know exactly what I expected to find in that cemetery but peace and tranquility was certainly not it. I stepped through the archway and the most wonderful peace settled on my shoulders like a mantle. I felt loved and cared for; something I hadn't expected to ever feel again after I finally realized Gran was no longer in the earthly realm.

I slowly worked my way over to the family plot and Gran's freshly filled grave and knelt by the headstone which she had had placed there when she buried Granddaddy. One side had Granddaddy's name, Mitchell Stackhouse, and his dates of birth and death and the other had Gran's information, except for her date of death since they hadn't had a chance yet to carve it into the stone.

I ran my fingers lovingly over the letters and let the thoughts of her fill my head and I smiled, a real smile, only the second since that horrible night and remembered, simply remembered, my time with such a wonderful woman.

My Gran, Adele Hale Stackhouse, loving wife, mother and grandmother may be gone but she would never be forgotten.

A slight breeze had picked up and had blown the ribbons of the wreaths into disorder so I arranged them again and read over the words. One of them got my attention immediately, it said: 'Gone but not forgotten'. I was surprised to see that one of the ribbons had Eric's name on it. I didn't even know they could do that. My eyes became moist again and I sighed. How could this man be so perfect? If I hadn't realized over the last few days that I was in love with him, I would have been at that moment! I ran my fingers over the gold letters on the banner, closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

When I felt the chill of evening starting to settle in I got up off my stiff knees and worked my way back home.

My two best friends, Tara and Lafayette, were sitting on the back steps waiting for me when I got home. They didn't say anything, they didn't have to, they just held their arms open for me. They both cleaned up nicely from the day to day jeans and tee, or in Lala's case eye-shadow and colourful blouses and nail polish, and looked quite nice.

Tara, being the fashionista in my life, was wearing a dove gray sheath dress and Lafayette had toned it down quite a lot. He was wearing the standard black suit but he still had to have his bit of colour in a purple shirt with matching tie.

We didn't say anything since words weren't really necessary; we had known each other since we were wee little. I just sat on the top step between the two of them, an arm around each of them, and enjoyed their company and the sounds of dusk coming to life as night slowly settled over our little slice of Louisiana.

Naturally the peace was short lived. Why would that night have been different from any other in the last couple of weeks?

I had wondered why my neighbor and thorn in my side hadn't made an appearance over the last few nights. I had hoped he had given up and gone away but those hopes were dashed as soon as full night had settled over us since he was suddenly standing in front of us.

_Sigh_. How could he not know that it was totally inappropriate to show up when I had just buried my beloved grandmother? He was supposed to be a gentleman, which I had doubted from the moment I met him, so he should know that, shouldn't he?

You would think that since he had been human much more recently than Eric that he would better understand the customs of a burial and having a relative stranger suddenly appear in front of you, unbidden, was not one of those customs.

You would also think that having his sheriff, the **vampire** sheriff, tell you to 'shoo' would have gotten the point across. Apparently not since there he was, standing right in front of us and looking quite the worse for wear in what appeared to be tattered Docker's pants and an equally tattered Polo shirt.

I looked at him expectantly but said nothing. My friends were silent as well, surprisingly. They just huddled closer to my sides and looked from me to Bill and back again, like they were watching a tennis match. Clearly, they were waiting to see how the scene would unfold.

"Sookeh," he said as a greeting. Urgh! Couldn't he get my name right? Just once? "My deepest condolences on your grandmother's passing. I would have come sooner but I was … indisposed," _And why would I care_, I thought.

_Hmm, indisposed; did Eric have something to do with that? _He had said he would take care of it_._

"Thank you, Mr. Compton." By being so formal I was trying to make him understand that there was a big barrier - even bigger than the Great Wall of China - between us and I was not pleased with his presence, "As you can see I'm not really in the mood to receive company, so if you would just…"

He decided that not only was he going to interrupt my evening but he was going to interrupt my words as well, "But Sookeh, this is the first time I have been able see you in days. You must be devastated over such a tragedy; especially as it came on so suddenly. I know your family does not have a lot of money," I narrowed my eyes, outraged, and we three sucked in our breaths simultaneously, but he didn't seem to care or he didn't notice, as usual, "and the burial must have cost a fortune so I would like to humbly offer my financial assistance."

I stood up slowly because I was ready to erupt like a volcano on a hot spot and I wanted to act like a grown woman on that day. My eyes were fixed on his in a steely gaze and I stood tall and strong on the second step. With the height advantage offered by the steps I towered above him slightly and said in an eerily calm tone as I glared at him, "Mr. Compton, let me set your straight on some things.

"First, my name is S**oo**kie. It rhymes with cookie. It is not Sookeh which rhymes with…," I tried to think of something it rhymed with but couldn't think of anything right quick, "Well, I guess it doesn't rhyme with anything.

"Second, it is none of your business how much money we do or do not possess. Thank you for your oh so **generous** offer, and any other offer you may propose in the future, but I am going to decline those offers." He actually looked pleased about my supposedly recognizing the generousness of his offer. I figured I was going to have to pull a Sheldon Cooper and break out the Sarcasm Cue Cards!

"The third and final reminder: I have told you to get off my property several times already and you've ignored me each and every time. Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you ignored my request?" He actually looked slightly constipated at the mention of what happened the night Gran died. "No? I didn't think so. I think you remember it quite clearly. So I will say this one last time: Get. Off. My. Property. Mr. Compton! You are not welcome at any time! The next time I have to 'remind' you I **will **report you to your Sheriff; I'm sure he would like to know that you are not following his orders."

I expected him to make a scene and he even opened his mouth like he was going to argue his expulsion but surprisingly he just gave us a tight 'Have a good evening then,' with a sneer at the end, then he disappeared with vampire speed.

I huffed and put my hands on my hips while looking in the direction he'd gone. I could only shake my head. His appearances had become quite the nuisance. I needed to get to the bottom of why he was so persistent. But not right then. I just didn't have the energy for it.

"You okay, Sooks?" Tara asked, then added, "That guy's creepy."

I snorted. Creepy was the understatement of the century, "Yeah, I am and yes, he is creepy. I was hoping he had gone away but apparently not."

Before I could suggest to my friends that we go inside I heard chuckling to my left. I turned around quickly and saw Eric casually leaning against the railing of the porch. My heart started to beat erratically in my chest at the sight. Damn, that man looked delectable in his washed out jeans, black t-shirt and brown leather jacket. And how he had shoved his hands in his pockets had Cookie standing at attention in a split second. I gulped and tried to shove her back into her cage; I was so not in the mood for her flirty behaviour.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tara and Lafayette gaping at him like fish out of water. Hmm, they either hadn't seen a giant before or they hadn't seen a man as beautiful as Eric.

Well, I couldn't blame them!

I ignored them for the moment though. His appearance had brought all the things he had done for me and Gran in the last few days to the surface. A lump formed in my throat as I marched up to him. I then stopped right in front of him and looked him square in the eye. His gaze was soft yet curious with a hint of a smile, like he was waiting for what I would do or say next.

I don't think he quite anticipated my next move though.

I hugged him.

Hard!

Then I rubbed my face on his hard chest and inhaled his wonderful scent. The fresh and salty air of the ocean let my body relax immediately and all the grief and worry disappeared for a moment. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed him the last few days until that very moment. That vampire had gotten under my skin faster than anything or anyone in my entire life.

Eric had stiffened at my touch at first. I don't think anyone had ever hugged the big, bad vampire Sheriff; ha, they probably would have lost their heads if they'd tried. But he soon wrapped his arms around me and imitated my gesture.

"Thank you," I said and squeezed him harder. "Thank you for all the things you've done. Only Gran has ever thought of doing something so thoughtful and selfless for me or tried to anticipate my needs before. So thank you, especially because I know my gran would have loved all of it."

"You're welcome, Sookie," he answered and patted me awkwardly on the back. I wanted to snicker but I didn't, figuring he might have taken offense after everything he had done for me.

Instead I sighed and then - very reluctantly - removed myself from him but didn't step back. Curiosity got the better of me and I cocked my head to the side and regarded him with a mischievous gaze, "How did you know what to do and what I needed?"

Oh, was he getting embarrassed? Yes, he actually scratched the stubble on his cheek and gave me a lopsided smile. That gesture made my heart flutter even more. "I uh … asked Pam for advice." I looked at him quizzically. How would Pam have been able to help?

"She has this strange fascination with Dear Abby and once I asked I had to listen to endless columns on how to deal with death." I actually did laugh then; the thought of Pam, or any vampire really, following Dear Abby was hilarious! "I had to threaten her with burning her favorite Jimmy Choo collection if she didn't stop talking. And what did that brat do then? She just forwarded me a folder with every Dear Abby column ever written about the subject of Bereavement and Mourning and she had **taped herself reading each of those columns** so no matter whether she was in front of me or not I still had to listen to my progeny drone on and on! But seeing your reaction just now made every word I had to listen to worth it."

My laughter had quieted by the time he was finished speaking although the giggles did erupt from time to time throughout the night.

"Well, then it's Pam I actually need to thank."

He smirked, "That can be arranged, she should arrive in a few minutes."

Someone cleared their throat and my cheeks started to burn as I remembered that we were not alone.

Oops!

"Sorry guys! Eric, these are my childhood friends Tara Thornton and Lafayette Reynolds, they're cousins. Guys, this is Eric Northman."

They offered a 'Hi, nice to meet you,' and Eric gave them a nod back before he turned to me again.

"I just wanted to pay my respects quickly and be on my way again. I didn't want to interrupt your quiet evening like Bill so obviously did."

"You saw that?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

He nodded and chuckled, "I did. That was a nice speech you gave him. Apparently he wasn't punished enough over the last few days for disobeying my orders since he so blatantly disregarded them the moment he was returned home."

So that's where Bill had been for last few days after all. I restrained myself from asking Eric what he had done with or to Bill because honestly that would have been far too much information for any of us humans. Instead of asking him to enlighten me or to clarify what he had done I willingly turned a blind eye to what Eric did when he was in Sheriff mode.

So I ignored the last part and said, "You're not interrupting and I'm glad you're here. Before I forget; thank you for keeping him out of my hair for a few days … er nights. It was much appreciated." The wind picked up and a chilly breeze made me shudder, "Let's go inside; I don't have a jacket on."

I had no sooner opened the back door than there was a knock at the front so I hurried through the house and looked through the window at the side of the door; it was Pam!

I threw open the door and threw myself at my new hero's sidekick, engulfing her in a hug, "Thank you! With your help, Eric knew just what to do to help me; so thank you Pam!"

She just stood there with her new Sookie ornament, her arms hanging awkwardly at her sides and stiff as a board until she finally raised one arm, gave me a quick yet awkward pat on the back and pried me off her just as there was a flash from behind us.

She looked different from the last time I saw her and it took me a minute to put a finger on what was so different; she wasn't dressed in a tight corset and skirt and it wasn't all black and red!

Instead she was wearing a Robin's egg blue pastel pant suit with white pumps and she looked like she had swallowed a bunch of thorns her face was so scrunched up. I bit my lip to stop the grin that wanted to form.

"You are important to Eric and he is important to me therefore you are important to me as well." Her voice sounded strangely robotic, like she had rehearsed it in front of a mirror.

Gee, awkward much? "Come on in Pam, come in. We can't have you standing out here while the rest of us are inside! Come in." I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside to the stunned silence of my best friends.

"Since we're speaking of Eric," Pam said and glared at him, "Just what do you plan on doing with that picture you just took?"

Surprised I turned around. Eric was standing there holding his cell phone and looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh; you could see the amusement in his eyes and his lips were twitching with the effort.

Tara and Lafayette simply looked stunned, "Uhh, Sook?"

I smiled at Tara, "Yeah Tara?"

"Are you sure molesting a vampire is such a good idea?" Both she and Lafayette looked horror stricken at the idea of hugging a vampire and they were trying to stand at a discreet distance from Eric.

I guess it's to be expected that they would be wary of vampires since it is the generally smart move to make, "You heard her guys: I'm important to Eric which makes me important to her. Lighten up!"

I kept hold of Pam's arm and grabbed Eric's free hand as I led everybody into the living room, "I'm sorry I don't have any refreshments prepared everybody but this is the first time I've been home since…" I started tearing up again. Dammit! I hate crying! Especially in front of others! My face gets all splotchy and red, I get all stuffed up and it's just not a pretty sight.

Eric gathered me into his arms again which calmed me right down. When I looked up at him to thank him he looked uncomfortable.

I pushed myself away from him, "I'm so sorry Eric! I didn't mean to get you all wet." I grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the end table and started dabbing at the wet spots on his shirt when it struck me: there had never been a box of tissues there before.

I turned around and looked around me more carefully; everything was spotless. Even the ceiling fan didn't have dust on it and I'm sure the windows were sparkling, I just couldn't tell since it was so dark outside.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Sookie?"

I looked back at him over my shoulder and he still looked uncomfortable. I grabbed his hand and towed him to the kitchen and stopped dead in the doorway; there wasn't a speck of blood anywhere! There wasn't any food on the floor, no iced tea sticking to things; it was spotless!

"This is one of the things I wanted to talk to you about Sookie; I hired a maid service to come in and clean everything so you wouldn't have to face your demons from that night again in order to clean it up."

I was speechless, truly speechless for possibly the first time in my life. I turned and threw myself into his arms and kept mumbling 'thank you' over and over into his chest as I held onto him for dear life. I finally found my voice again after a couple of minutes, "Thank you Eric! If you had done nothing else over the last few days this would have been all I needed!

"Not wanting to see and clean up the mess was the main reason I haven't been home before now so thank you!

"Was Pam behind this as well? If so she's got another hug coming her way as well." Gee, was I turning into a hugger now? I'd never been that touchy feely in my entire life.

Eric smiled indulgently down at me, "No, this one I did on my own. If there's one thing being a vampire teaches you it's that cleanliness is next to godliness. You clean up any mess you create so someone else doesn't have to and if someone else does have to you get the best in the business to do it for you."

I sighed. This man, this vampire, really was perfect for me! If Gran had had a chance to know him better she would have agreed with me too since the one thing she always insisted on after manners was cleanliness.

Judging by the comment she made at the hospital she may have already known. That still baffled me.

My little serene bubble burst when I heard gagging noises behind me. We both turned around and saw Pam sticking her index finger into her throat.

Childish much?

"When you two lovebirds are done…" she said drolly.

Eric looked at Pam like he was ready to stake her, "Pamela, go check to make sure Compton went home. I have something else to discuss with Sookie and he doesn't need to hear."

She glared at Eric but eventually sped out the kitchen door and into the night.

I turned around and looked at Eric expectantly, "You have something else to talk to me about?"

He nodded, "I do. I would like you to take more of my blood. I can feel your … discomfort even after three days have passed and I can't stand to see you so damaged.

"I understand why you didn't take me up on my offer the last time but the worst is over now. Don't you think you have punished yourself enough? Your grandmother's death was not your fault!"

I just stood there and looked at him while I thought about how he could have known that. Deep inside me there was a voice telling me the exact same thing as Eric did but that voice wasn't loud enough for me to acknowledge it. Maybe I should start.

I sighed and thought things over. The itching was starting up already from the smaller cuts, my back still hurt and I was about fifteen shades of blue and purple from all the bruises, especially around my neck; not to mention the nasty headache I still had from the concussion, so there really wasn't much to consider about his offer since it was a simple yes or no request.

I nodded my agreement but before his fangs could even descend I added a condition, "Only if you take mine again as well."

I don't know why I said it but as soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew it was the right thing to say.

Some otherworldly force was pushing us together. At the same time the presence inside me - which had been surprisingly silent the last few days - seemed to nudge me in his direction as well. It was just minor things; I would say things without thinking about them - just like a few seconds before - or a little gesture I wouldn't normally do. The other me seemed to have a connection to him as well and deep down I knew that it was somehow meant to be. And again that feeling was something I didn't think I would normally feel. I could resist it and put up a fight or I could accept it and see where the road led; I decided to go down the unknown road to adventure.

Eric looked just as stunned at my words as I felt at saying them but he agreed. I stopped him once more and added, "But we so need to talk about all this soon. I know there is something between us and I know that you feel it as well. And I have a suspicion you know more about it already. I need to know what is going on," my voice was stern so he knew I was very serious about it.

He nodded somberly, "I know, Sookie. I promise, we'll talk about this very soon." With that he pierced one of his fingertips with his fang.

Before he could even bring his hand to my mouth I picked it up and put his finger in my mouth myself as I brought my own finger to his mouth. Something was nearly pushing me to do it. Again it was something I wouldn't do otherwise. I could feel something inside me and I knew it was the same presence that had wanted to come to the surface as I fought Renée.

I didn't even feel the prick of his fang! Instead I felt euphoric! And again the presence rose and stretched and sighed with satisfaction. I could feel her growing and becoming stronger than before with each drop of blood I sucked into my mouth.

What the hell was going on? For some reason I was not afraid of what was happening though. It felt right to me; like it was meant to be in the first place. That separateness I had felt when I first discovered it was what felt wrong. And right then, as I sucked Eric's blood into my mouth, whatever it was felt one step closer to being complete.

I closed my eyes as the happy feeling overwhelmed me and I saw a kaleidoscope of colours and images against my closed lids. The images went by too fast for me to see more than a couple but the most stunning of them, the one that knocked me for a loop, was a lightning bolt in a stormy sky over a turbulent sea which reminded so much of what I had seen in Eric's eyes a couple of times already that I gasped as I dropped his hand.

Before I could say anything out loud and get to the bottom of things, many things happened at the same time: I jumped about ten feet in the air as the kitchen door banged open and Pam stormed back inside. Almost at the same time I could hear a retching noise behind me.

Heart galloping in my chest and overwhelmed with what had just happened, I turned and looked back toward the living room and saw Lala standing there with a strange look on his face and he was bent over slightly, clutching at his chest. But almost as soon as I saw him he straightened up and had a strangely creepy smile on his face.

He grabbed a newspaper from the coffee table and rolled it up then took several steps forward and whacked Pam with the paper on the back of the head, "You, young lady," his voice was a little higher pitched, almost like he was trying to imitate a woman's voice, "need to learn some manners. You do **not** just barge into a person's home, even if you have been invited, because you feel you have the right!

"You knock and wait for that person to answer the door!

"As for your mocking them just a few minutes ago: Leave them alone! Every person has the right to be happy and a funeral is meant to be a celebration of a person's life, not a gloom fest!"

Pam swung around, immediately in defence mode, ready to attack my best friend.

My eyes had become as wide as saucers while I observed the spectacle. I may be blonde but I'm not dumb so I looked up at Eric, begging him with my eyes to do something before Pam actually hurt Lala.

But Eric didn't even look at me. He had his head turned to the side with such a fascinated and curious look on his face; like he couldn't wait to see how the scene would unfold.

"Eric," I hissed and elbowed him in the ribs.

Before anyone could even react Lala froze us all into place with what he said next, "I expect you are the one I spoke to on the phone the other night when I called the bar asking for Sookie." WHACK! Another smack on the head, "You were just plain rude! You could have asked for confirmation of who I was asking for since I **did **ask for the owner the first time."

WHACK! WHACK!

"You could have said 'I'm sorry but which owner', you could have been more **polite** especially once Sookie gave you back the phone. You could have called back and given me an apology," WHACK! "you could have sent an apology back with Sookie or you could have come out yourself but nooooooo, you decided to be rude and obnoxious and that is simply **not** acceptable!" Another whack landed on Pam's head.

"What is your name young lady?"

Tara and I were looking back and forth between each other and Lafayette and she looked as confused as I had ever seen her!

I know I was confused. What the hell was going on?

Pam just stood there, apparently as stunned as the rest of us. She straightened up and put her clawed hands down at her sides, "Pam Ravenscroft, Ma'am."

Ma'am? Now I was really confused! Pam knew how to be polite? Who knew?

It took me until then to realize that Lala was speaking like my Gran! "Gran?" I asked.

Lala turned to me, "Yes baby girl, it's me."

Confusion, they name is Sookie Stackhouse! "But how…"

Lala/Gran smiled again, "It seems our dear Lafayette is a medium, he can channel spirits so I chose to come to you like this to make sure you remember your promise to me at the hospital.

"Once I heard Ms. Ravenscroft's voice I knew she was the one I spoke to on the phone so I thought I'd have a little fun and give her the come to Jesus I promised her for her lack of manners that night."

For some reason I lowered my shields and focused my mind on Lala's thoughts. And what I actually saw in there made me gasp out loud. I could see my gran's ghost or spirit smiling back at me. Lafayette was standing next to her with his arms crossed over his chest and a stunned but amused expression on his face; He winked at me.

My lower lip wobbled and I could feel the water works starting again, "Oh Gran," I ran forward and into her arms - well Lala's arms but who cares - and hung onto her for dear life. "I miss you so much."

"I know sweetheart," she said as she hugged me back, "I miss you too but I'm finally home now. I'm right where I want to be and I hope that thought will comfort you. I will always watch over you like I have the last couple of days. By the way, I saw how your brother behaved and who he brought to the funeral."

I flinched as she said that, "Jason didn't know what had happened with Bartlett." Why the hell was I defending him? He had given me nothing but more grief the last couple of days.

"He may not have known but I announced, within earshot of just about the whole town, that that man was not a part of the family anymore and would never be again." She sighed, "but on the other hand your brother was never that bright. He always had more good looks than brains."

"He blames me for your death," I whispered. I didn't want to say it but it came out anyway. I needed to get it off my chest, "He didn't say it out loud but I could hear it."

"I know baby girl. It seems the lecture I gave him at the hospital was for naught. That's why I need to remind you of the promise you gave me. I think it's time to let him go. You need to find your own way and if Jason doesn't choose to be in your life then that is his loss, not yours. Either he will come around or he won't."

The words were hard to hear from her. How could I let loose the only family member I had left? Without him in it I was left alone in the world. Wasn't I?

As if sensing my turmoil Eric stepped up behind me and laid a hand on my shoulder. Our bond had become much stronger even with just the few drops of blood we'd just exchanged and right then it was dancing with comfort. I looked up to him and then to Gran - or Lala, damn that's confusing - and could see something pass between them.

But the moment was gone as quickly as it came. "One last thing, I'm glad you interpreted my little light show correctly," she said mysteriously and winked at me.

I blinked, confused and it took me a few moments to understand what she meant. Then I grinned, "The pot of gold." Wonder in my eyes I asked, "That was really you?"

She nodded, "Yes, I wanted you to know that I'm happy where I am. I wanted to you to smile. Though I had a little help from an angel."

I sucked in my breath in astonishment. _Angels really exist_? "An angel?"

Gran/Lala nodded, "Her name is Angela. We had a wonderful conversation and she told me that when she died almost a year ago, the angels came to her and honoured her in becoming an angel. The angels had read the wonderful stories she'd written during her lifetime and had seen how many people she had touched with her words so they granted her ascension directly to angelkind. And she wanted me to give you a message, 'Two halves make a whole and it will bind them together so completely, no-one will be able to separate them; when you always stay true to your heart, it will guide you through the obstacles thrown your way'; She wishes you good luck on your journey."

I didn't know what to make of that but I was touched nonetheless. I sniffled and nodded, "Tell her I thank her and will remember her words."

Gran/Lala nodded and looked at me shrewdly before turning mischievous. With a glint in her eyes she gently moved me out of the way, "Now let me hug this fine young man at least once for all the nice things he's done for you."

"Yes, let's," came a much deeper voice - Lala's and I could see just how much he wanted that hug looking back at me.

"Hush Lafayette, if you want to feel these hard muscles you need to join the back of the line," she said dryly and pulled Eric against her hard body.

I couldn't hold back the snort before my hand covered my mouth.

Eric took all this with amusement judging by the smirk on his lips and even gave Gran/Lala a smooch on the cheek before he pulled back again.

Eric and Gran/Lala both smiled, "Sookie my dear, I told Ms. Ravenscroft that a funeral is a celebration of life **so**, dig through the cupboards and the freezer, bring out your dancing shoes and party!

"I never was one for the morose wake and you know it! Now, call your brother and tell him to get his behind over here because you are about to celebrate your Gran's life. If he shows, he shows, if he don't, he don't but you are going to cheer up."

And that's just what we did, too. Eric sent Pam back to the bar to get some True Bloods, alcohol and mixes; he found the old stereo left over from Jason's high school days along with the records and 8-tracks and cranked up the volume. We danced and partied until he and Pam had to leave and the three of us humans fell into bed absolutely exhausted but happy.

Surprisingly Lala did get that hug in, as well as a dance. I was taking a much needed breather when he came up to Eric, bowed and asked if he could have a dance.

Lafayette's sexuality was no secret, even though it was never really spoken about openly, but Eric agreeing to a dance surprised me.

Pam and I both got out our phones and took a picture of them dancing and she showed me how to save it as the background on my phone.

Pam also tried, unsuccessfully, to delete the picture Eric had taken of her. When she couldn't get Eric's phone to unlock she just scowled at him and pulled me and Tara out onto the floor to dance.

Jason finally showed about noon the next day, waking me up out of a dead sleep but ya know, I just gave him a hug, handed off the unused alcohol, told him I loved him and sent him on his way.

Gran was right, it was time to shit or get off the pot. If he couldn't see his way clear to actually being a brother to the only sister, only surviving family he had - well, except for Hadley but in my opinion she didn't count -, then he had no right to be in my life any way.

No, I do **not** count Bartlett as family either and haven't since Gran turned him out so by that standard Jason **was** my only family but if my hunch was right my life was about to turn around and start looking up and I couldn't wait!


	11. Chapter 11

Wow, thank you so much for your reviews! We are floored! And we really loved reading your kind words about Angela. I hope wherever she is, she knows that we are still thinking about her!

This is the longest chapter so far. Almost 10,000 words and over 30 pages, Holy S***!

So enjoy and we'll see you next week!

Chapter 11:

It was nearly a week later before I was ready to face the outside world again. I had needed to put Gran's affairs in order; but most importantly I had needed time for myself. Even though I had talked to my Gran again for a precious few minutes the night of the funeral, and it had lifted a huge chunk of grief from my shoulders, I still needed to come to terms with it and get used to the idea that she wasn't there for me anymore.

Then came the hard reality of thinking about my future. What did I want to do with the house? Did I want to stay in it? Of course I wanted to, at least for the time being. But did I want to stay in Bon Temps long-term? The main reason for getting a degree was to eventually get out of this redneck infested town but I would need to wait to see of what this future will bring.

Did I want to continue to work at Merlotte's? No, I wanted to quit. I had a feeling that that chapter of my life was over and that I needed to start a new one and I could only accomplish that in a new environment.

All these questions brought me back to Eric's job offer and the contract. I never had the time to seriously look it over with everything that had happened so that is what I did next.

I studied it thoroughly, researched on the internet and took notes and wrote down questions I needed the answers to the next time I saw him. Like he had said in his office when he gave it to me, it was a rough draft and it would need a lot of additions and changes but I was sure we could come to an agreement pretty quickly.

You probably guessed already that I wanted to work for him. I knew it was the right thing to do, not just because of the queen or Bill but because I somehow knew that Eric would be a huge part of my future. It was a too good opportunity and offer to pass up. I finally had the chance to prove my worth and use my talents to the fullest advantage.

That was a task for the next night though. Then I would go to him and tell him my decision.

Speaking of Bill, a few days after the funeral I found a letter in my mailbox. The letter was handwritten and on a very old-fashioned writing paper. For a tiny moment I was very curious about who would send me such a letter but when I read the return address I wanted to burn it and wash my hands with bleach, though I did manage to restrain myself at the last second.

_'__Dearest Sookie:'_

At least he could spell my name, even if he couldn't pronounce it.

_'__I am chagrined that I cannot call upon you in person to continue our courtship as I must attend to business out of state for the next several days. I hope you can forgive my inattention to you and accept this note in lieu of my presence,_

_Eternally Yours,_

_William T. Compton, Esq.'_

Hell yes, I would accept the note in place of him being physically present!

Seriously though, no one in this day and age talks like that anymore! Eric was ten times his age and sounded more modern than that Civil War throwback!

Yup, Bill was seriously off his rocker! Courtship, my ass!

I scanned the letter and emailed it to Eric who'd replied with 'Did he say lieu or he's full of what's in the loo?' which made me laugh my ass off for the rest of the evening.

He also confirmed that Bill was really out of state. Thank god!

I snorted at the memory and shook my head to prepare myself for the difficult task at hand: Moving into my gran's bedroom.

Earlier in the day I had stopped by U-Haul and bought some boxes, tape and markers but I was having a hard time boxing up everything that represented Gran to me. It was just too … personal I guess but there wasn't really anybody else to do it since I had only seen Jason the once since the day after the funeral and that had been when Sid Matt Lancaster, Gran's lawyer, had read her will.

Jason was not happy about the fact that Gran had left the house and property to me as long as I signed over my portion of our parents' house to him free and clear.

He had ranted and raved and paced round and round the kitchen. From his thoughts I heard that he didn't think it was fair that I got so much when he got so little. He seemed to forget that with our parents' house and property in his name only, he would have just as much property as I would with the only difference being his house was newer.

It was on the tip of my tongue to argue with him about where I would live if he had gotten Gran's house. If he would have let me live in it, would I have to pay rent for it with utilities on top of everything else? Again he seemed to only think about himself and how he could benefit from it or how much he stood to lose.

He also wasn't paying attention to the fact that anything left over after final bills and the funeral costs was split evenly between us as well.

He was hurting, bad, but that was because he hadn't quite let go yet so I just let him do his ranting and raving and pacing; there was nothing I could do about it anyway. Finally he settled down, squared his shoulders and nodded like he was confirming to himself that this was the best way and sat back down without another word.

I signed both deeds, Jason signed the one for his place and that was that. Sid Matt packed up his things, handed over Gran's will, offered his condolences again and was gone to register the deeds at the registrar's office.

Jason finished his tea real quick and left with only a quick 'thanks Sook' and I was alone again.

It hurt that Jason acted so callously towards me and I had heard through the grapevine that his tom cat ways had only gotten worse but there wasn't anything I could do for him until he was ready to accept the fact that Gran was dead and that even if things hadn't gone as they had she wouldn't have been with us much longer anyway.

Finally I decided I would start small and got her jewelry box off the dresser and sat it in front of me on the floor. There were a lot of memories in there; a lot more than I expected.

The pearl earrings and necklace grandpa had given her as his wedding gift to her: Once he died she only wore them on their anniversary.

Her wedding band, a few nice silver pieces but most of it was cheap costume jewelry which was easy to part with but I kept the sentimental pieces and the jewelry box.

The next was her closet. Most of that was easy since she was so much taller and bigger than me but I did find some of granddaddy's things which I set aside in case Jason wanted them.

Her photo albums, knitting things, figurines which friends and grandpa had sent her during their travels.

Eventually I found myself sitting in the middle of the floor, tears running down my face with all those reminders of Gran laying on the floor around me when there was a knock on the door and a voice calling out, "Sookie, it's Eric."

I got up and trudged to the door, happy to see him but not really in the mood for company. There were two voids at the door though. Maybe he brought Pam with him?

I opened the door and just about fell over from shock! The melancholy I'd been in just a few seconds before all but forgotten. It wasn't Pam who was with Eric, it was, "El…" Eric slapped a hand over my mouth before I could get the whole name out.

"Sookie, I'd like you to meet **Bubba**, your new guard." His eyes were begging me to get the hint to not call the vampire behind him Elvis. I didn't know why but I could take a hint so I nodded.

When he removed his hand I was finally able to greet the King of Rock 'n' Roll properly, "It's nice to meet you Bubba."

"Likewise Miss Sookie. You have a beautiful home," he said in his oh so famous baritone voice: It sent shivers down my spine.

Before I could say anything else Eric sent Bubba out to look around the property.

For a moment I stared in the direction he had shuffled off to. _Holy shit!_ I squealed to myself like a damn fangirl and had a big dopey grin on my face: I had just met THE most famous entertainer in the world! Could you blame me?

I can remember standing on my daddy's feet and dancing around the kitchen while we were listening to Elvis when I was just little and then later, when I was older, it was Tara, Lafayette and me dancing around my room to the sounds of 'Hound Dog', 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and so many more.

Eric just smirked at me like he could feel how excited I was. He seemed to be impatient as well though because he turned me around by the shoulders and pushed me inside into the living room and down onto the couch.

After I'd finally calmed myself I asked, "So, Bubba is my new guard. Why? Not that I don't appreciate this, Eric, but Renée is dead."

"Yes, he might be dead, but you said yourself that his girlfriend was deeply connected with his activities. I have tried to find this Arlene Fowler over the last week to … interrogate her about her involvement but she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

I pondered that for a minute but then shook my head, "No. If she's not with her mother then I don't know. As far as I know she doesn't have any family other than her mom." I thought back to the few conversations we'd had over the last few weeks. Then I remembered something she had said the night of the meeting, "The night Renée attacked she told Sam that she has a friend who is a craftsman but I wasn't in her head at the time so I don't know more than that or who he might be. I'm sorry." I looked at him, chagrined. For some reason I felt disappointed in myself for not being able to help him.

Eric nodded pensively, "That's a start. I'll look into it. And to answer your original question: as you can see, Bubba is a very special vampire. The night he was turned he had too many drugs in his system so was already too far gone. Unfortunately the coroner was a fan and turned him anyway. Now he's brain damaged and can only be used for simple tasks.

"Bubba … doesn't like to be reminded of his human life. He becomes morose and gets out of control; that's why I stopped you before you used his real name.

"He's only loyal to me and the King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, and is under our personal protection.

"I chose him to be your guard because nobody would dare touch him and not only because of Ms. Fowler but of Bill as well. There are some new developments I need to talk to you about: That's the main reason I came here tonight."

Uh oh, that sounded ominous so I sat up straighter on the couch. Eric must have noticed that I became tense because he took my hand, "I got a call from the Queen this week."

Oh. My heart was in my throat and I could feel tears threatening. Damn, I was really prone to tears since Gran died. And on top of everything else I seemed to have put a lot of pressure on myself to have absolutely everything perfect: So much so that the little things seemed to be the final straw for an emotional overload.

"She asked if I had seen Bill because he has been ignoring her calls. I told her that he had been punished for disobeying my orders and disregarding general vampire protocol among other things. When she wanted me to clarify I told her everything from the moment we met up to my offering you a contract." My lower lip started to wobble as I got closer to letting the tears fall; though they were mostly tears of anger. Was he about to tell me that this queen ordered him to ship me off to New Orleans? I didn't think I could handle that on top of everything else.

Panic and anger wanted to consume me as I thought of worst case scenarios like being held in chains and being passed around from vampire to vampire like a fucking dog.

Of course Eric felt my dread. He took my face in his hands and looked me square in the eyes, "Calm down, Sookie. Nothing is as it seems. She was pleased that I had gained your services and has asked when we will be free to go to New Orleans to meet with her and her lawyer."

My eyes went wide, "She really does just want me to work for her? Nothing else like for blood or anything?"

He smiled, "Just your telepathy Sookie, I promise"

I let out a long relieved breath and finally smiled at him: A big weight lifted from my shoulders.

Before he knew it I was hugging him again, "Thank you Eric! Thank you!"

I could feel his discomfort but I was just so relieved I didn't much care right then. Eventually I pushed myself back from him a little bit, even though I felt better in his arms than anywhere else, and the look on his face was priceless. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to pull me closer to him or push me to the other side of the room.

Instead of doing either he decided to grab hold of my hand again and continue the conversation, "She then had some interesting news to share with me.

"She did send Bill to Bon Temps because of you but only to find out if you had an issue with vampires and if you would be agreeable to working for her under contract."

Seething anger swept through my body as I looked at him with my mean face on, "You mean to tell me that that…," I didn't know what to call Bill that was mean enough to let my feelings be known, "that **thing**_," _I spat and swung my arm wildly in the general direction of the cemetery and Bill's house, "across the cemetery was only supposed to find out if I liked vampires and if I'd accept a contract to work for the queen?"

We had already discussed all of that but it was a huge step from talking about it to having it confirmed.

Oh, that bastard! I was spitting nails on the inside.

Eric nodded in confirmation, "She never told him to give you his blood or take any other means to bind you to him. That is entirely his own doing; we already suspected that though.

"She didn't tell me at first because, as she phrased it, 'I would work better and more efficiently' if I didn't know the whole story. That way I would be able to see the whole picture and work out all the possibilities." He didn't sound very happy about not being in the loop from the very beginning but he did look like he had accepted it.

"Now comes the interesting part. Before she sent Bill to my area there was a vampire visiting her court named Hot Rain. He had told her some tale that he had heard about her **interesting** variety of donors. He wanted to 'borrow' her procurer who just happens to be Bill.

"When Bill returned from a trip shortly after Hot Rain left, they tried to … make him talk but he wouldn't give up anything so she decided to send him to my area because she knew I would be suspicious of him. Sophie-Ann found the personal interest regarding Bill and his strange behaviour lately too much of a coincidence, especially once Bill heard what - or rather who - his assignment was. She said he was almost too eager to leave. I believe her exact words were 'he was nearly bouncing out of his loafers' when he heard who his next assignment was to be."

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. My life the last few weeks had been out of this world and just plain crazy. I got up and paced the room for a moment before I turned to Eric, "Can I offer you a True Blood Eric," and turned to go into the kitchen without even giving him a chance to answer.

Eric got up and followed me, no doubt wondering if I was okay. I was, it was just a lot of information to take in and on top of everything else that had been going on for the last couple of weeks I felt a little overwhelmed.

I grabbed a bottle of True Blood out of the fridge, and the new pitcher of iced tea, and popped the blood in the microwave so it could heat up while I poured myself a tall glass of my second favorite beverage.

Once the blood was warmed I took it out and shook it to evenly distribute the heat and handed it to Eric as I sat down at the kitchen table, still feeling a little lost.

Eric just sat there and let me digest the information he had given me so far. We just sat there, me staring into space and thinking over what I had just been told and Eric looking around the room and obviously trying not to stare at me.

After a few minutes I couldn't take the silence anymore and said, "So all of this really means that Bill has a hidden agenda regarding me. Either for his own gain or for someone else's.

"You said a Hot Rain asked about him? Maybe Bill works for him? We need to find out!"

"We will, Sookie. I promise you that," he said with a secretive smile.

I nodded, satisfied. Then I remembered an important question I wanted to ask him, "Do you know a good lawyer who could help me or give me advice on what to do against Andy Bellefleur?"

Eric looked amused and for a second I thought he found the idea ridiculous but then I felt the excitement and anticipation through the bond, "You want to sue him?"

I nodded, "Yes. I did some research on lawsuits and I know that I can't sue him for being the cause of Gran's death since she died naturally; the doctor at the hospital said her heart had been weak for some time. As much as I want to I can't make him responsible for that but he spoke of an ongoing investigation in a bar full of people and yes, I may have been careless about being discreet with being seen with vampires but Andy was the one who ultimately brought Renée to my doorstep. I may not be successful with that either but an officer of law enforcement is not allowed to talk to the public about details of any investigations. I can't let this slide and I have a lot of witnesses. Furthermore I gave him a tip about Drew Marshall being a suspect in a similar murder but he didn't do anything about it. He needs to be taught a lesson." I didn't want to ask our family lawyer, Sid Matt Lancaster, either. I didn't think he would go against the only Detective Bon Temps had.

Eric looked thoughtful for a second, "I do know someone. He's a supernatural lawyer and I don't know if he would even take the case but at least he can give you some advice. I'll contact him later if you want."

"Yes, thank you, please do."

He inclined his head and then reached inside his jacket and pulled out an envelope which he held out to me.

I took it and asked, "What's this?"

"Open it!"

Curiosity got the better of me and I opened the envelope … just to see a paycheck sparkling back at me. My mouth dropped open and I screeched, "$10,000!?"

I would have continued on with my little rant but Eric held up a hand to stop my it, "We talked about me paying you for your investigation and you agreed if I recall correctly."

"Yes, but not **this** much money! I thought maybe a couple hundred! NOT ten thousand!" I was outraged. Why would he want to give me so much money?

"Sookie, that's not **just** for the work you did: it's also for gas, mileage on your car for the times you drove back and forth to see me, your time in calling the newspapers and searching their archives, the long distance charges if there were any and you were injured because of my carelessness.

"Don't forget, you also saved me a fine because you warned me about the police raid the night we met. That would have been at least twice the amount."

I vehemently shook my head, ignoring his last comment because it was old news and what he'd said before was more important. How could he think my injuries were his fault? He provided protection for me. "You weren't careless Eric. You positioned a vampire who wasn't even that young in my woods for me. As far as we knew it should have been sufficient to stop a human serial killer."

Eric shook his head in frustration, "One thing I've learned is to never underestimate a vampire's deviousness. And now he's finally dead because I seem to have forgotten that important lesson. As a consequence of this the killer was able to get to you."

My heart dropped to my feet at that and a deep sadness settled in my bones, "So the vampire is truly dead?"

"Yes, Pam found his remains in the woods not far from here. We put our best tracker on it and he tracked the trail back to Monroe to a vampire nest. Liam, Diane and Malcolm - or the 'Disco triplets' as Pam so eloquently calls them - received an email, apparently from me, that they needed to dispose of the vampire that specific night at a specific time in order to get back into my good graces. That's why they didn't cover their tracks; because they thought the request came directly from me."

I shook my head sadly. And all of this just because someone wanted to get at me. "Can you prove that Bill was behind this?"

Eric chuckled humorlessly, "The little weasel is clever. I know he's behind it but he covered his tracks perfectly. The email is impossible to track because it was sent through different servers all over the world. While I had him in custody I tried to … encourage him to tell me the truth but for being such a young vampire he's hard to crack, thanks to his crazy maker most likely. Not that I put a lot of effort into it anyway. I have a much better plan," he said with a gleeful voice as he looked at me with shining eyes and a secretive smile.

I nodded and shuddered to myself. I didn't want to know what kind of effort he had taken and I didn't want to ruin his boyish playfulness. Though I've recognized his hesitance a few times already where he didn't want to say the word 'torture' for my benefit. I wasn't naive enough to know that he meant that word.

I had just opened my mouth to ask him about his so called plan when Bubba burst into the house making me yelp, "Miss Sookie!?"

I turned and stared at the vampire who had just burst into my kitchen, "Bubba! I don't recall inviting you in! That's just plain rude and you know it," I scolded him mainly because he startled me half to death.

He stopped in his tracks and looked down at the floor, ashamed of the fact he had forgotten his manners, turned around and walked back out the door, closing it behind him.

Once he was outside he turned around and knocked and waited for me to answer the door, "Hello Bubba, won't you please come in?"

He shuffled in, apparently still embarrassed by his lack of manners, "Thank you Miss Sookie. I'm sorry for being so rude Miss Sookie, it won't happen again." I had to hold back a chuckle because he just looked too damn cute with the sheepish look on his face and the boyish behaviour.

"My momma would have whooped my butt for doing such a thing back when I was human and, apparently so would Miss Adele."

I stood there, mouth agape, stunned at what had just happened.

Not only had Bubba just walked into my house without an invitation but he knew someone named Adele!

It took me a moment to gather myself before I was able to respond, "Thank you Bubba. Can I offer you some True Blood?

I turned to get another bottle out of the fridge but before I even touched the door handle he replied, "No, thank you, Miss Sookie, I prefer cats," rather enthusiastically.

I recoiled in horror. Did he just imply … did he say that he **drank** cats' blood? I shuddered, disgusted. I thought Eric had said, they were not the 'Twilight Guys'? I took a closer look at Bubba … nope, not sparkling.

And maybe it was a good thing that my poor cat, Tina, was already gone. I looked at Eric with wide eyes and I could see the grimace on his face. Even a real vampire seemed to find that disgusting. Oh yeah, I could sympathise.

"As you just heard, Sookie, Bubba has a very … special diet. You don't need to worry yourself with that. I will take care of his nourishment."

_Thank god! _I shuddered, because much like an earworm, the image wouldn't leave me alone._ Don't ask, Sookie! Don't ask!_ I swallowed the question that desperately wanted to come out of my mouth and shook my head to get back on track.

I turned back to Bubba, swallowing a retort about how disgusting I thought his 'diet' was and asked, "Who is Adele, Bubba? I used to know a wonderful woman with that name." I could feel my eyes tearing up but I refused to let the tears fall: The time for mourning was apparently over.

He finally looked up at me rather sheepishly, "Miss Sookie it's your Adele I'm talking about. She asked me to remind you to check out that old desk in the attic, it'll answer a lot of your questions."

Shocked, my knees simply gave out and I would have crashed to the floor if Bubba hadn't managed to catch me. Unfortunately that caused Eric to go all caveman and start growling and stalking towards us.

It reminded me once again of a lion that had spotted an intruder and wanted to defend his territory - me being his territory.

Cookie sprang into action for the first time that day and prowled around my legs, purring loudly. Geez, does she get turned on every time Eric makes a move these days?

_'__Sookie, you should know by now that __**anything**__ Eric does arouses me.' Purrrrrrr._

Holy! What the…? Did Cookie just answer me?!

Cookie thought that was absolutely hilarious and her laughter was ringing inside my head, '_Sookie, just check the desk, a lot of your questions will be answered once you do'._

Bubba must have realized what was going on with Eric because he gently sat me on the floor and slowly backed away with his hands extended in front of him, almost like he was trying to protect himself, "I'm sorry Mr. Eric, really. It was just a reflex and my Momma raised me to always protect women and children. With Miss Sookie being so pretty and all, well, I'm sorry anyway."

Bubba suddenly got this faraway look in his eyes and started speaking softly, "Yes Miss Adele, I told her." He paused a moment, still with that faraway look, "Yes Ma'am, I'll tell them." His eyes seemed to refocus on the room and us, "Miss Sookie, your Gran said to tell you that you're still her baby girl and she loves you.

"Mr. Eric, she said to tell that hunk of a vampire to knock it off or he'll be getting his own come ta Jesus real soon if he don't."

I just sat there on the floor like an idiot, too stunned to do much else. Bubba was talking to Gran? My Gran? First Lafayette and now Bubba? My heart soared at the thought that I might not have to spend the rest of my life without the only person who had ever accepted me as I was.

I heard a low chuckle and when I looked over at Eric his chest was shaking because he was holding most of his laughter in, "Well, I guess that answers **that** question.

"Bubba, why have you never told me that you could speak with the dead?"

Eric helped me up off the floor and over to the table as Bubba explained, "Mr. Eric, I didn't know until I wandered into the cemetery over there," he gestured out the window towards the backyard and the cemetery beyond.

Eric looked thoughtful for a moment, "Vampire gifts don't always appear right away so it is quite possible that this is the first time it's happened. Has anything else out of the ordinary happened to you lately Bubba?"

Bubba shook his head, "No Sir Mr. Eric, just the no invitation thing and now being able to talk to the dead."

I looked at Bubba hard; he **hadn't** had an invitation into the house, had he? He was a very special vampire indeed if that was the case.

What Gran had said about the attic reminded me that it had been mentioned three times already and it made me spring into action. I was very impatient all of a sudden to get up there. "While this is all very interesting, Gran did mention that old desk in the attic just before she died." I looked around at Eric who had retaken his seat across the table from me, "Would you please help me with that? It's been up there forever and with all the humidity and heat in the attic I'm sure the drawers are all swollen and hard to open."

He smiled at me indulgently as I stood up and turned towards the stairs, "Of course Sookie, lead the way."

With each step I took towards that attic the more excited I felt but I was also dreading it. What would I find? Yeah, I knew I would find answers but what kind of answers? Did I really want to know? What were the questions I needed the answers to anyway?

* * *

><p>"There's nothing here," I exclaimed, frustrated and disappointed. We'd been up there for nearly an hour and the humidity was getting to me. At first we couldn't even see the desk. There was so much junk in there we had to clear a path to get further into the room. When we had finally found the desk my Gran was referring to - of course it had to be in the furthest corner possible - I was already sweaty and grumpy. Then we had to get the desk away from the corner but thank god for Eric's vampire strength. After 15 minutes of fruitless searching I was toying with the idea that my gran was going senile and had maybe meant the desk in the living room instead of that old thing.<p>

"No, Miss Sookie, it's still in there. You just need to **open** your eyes **wider**."

I looked at Bubba, who was standing in the doorway, strangely. Why the hell did he say it that way? "What did you say? Can you repeat that please, Bubba?"

"Your **eyes** Miss Sookie, you need to open them **wider**."

I blinked. _I needed to open my eyes wider? What does that mean? My eyes are wide open._ I stared at the damn desk in consternation and befuddlement.

I sighed and closed my eyes, rubbing them because they were strained from the dim light up there. While my eyes were closed I got a picture in my mind of the desk's construction; the right side drawers weren't as long as they should have been. Something was behind them!

I opened my eyes and walked up to the desk and knocked all along the top and sure enough where the drawers were sounded kind of hollow while at the very back it sounded really solid!

I tried to pull the top drawer out but it wouldn't budge. I didn't know if it was because the wood was swollen or because I didn't have the key but I just looked at Eric. I didn't have to say a word, he just took hold of the handle and gave it a good yank, then the next drawer and the next until all four of them were on the floor. I stuck my hand in and felt around; there was definitely something solid back there and it wasn't the back of the desk because I was only in up to my elbow.

I felt around for a way to grip it but couldn't seem to find anything.

I pulled my arm out and stood up, sighing, "Eric, my eyes aren't good enough to see what's in there and I can't feel a pull or anything, could you…?"

I didn't even have to finish my sentence before Eric was down on his knees and peering into the hole created by the missing drawers. He looked at me with a smile on his face, "There is definitely something there Sookie. I don't want to destroy such beautiful craftsmanship to get at it though.

"Why don't you go down and get something to drink and cool off while I examine this a little more closely to see if I can figure out how to spring the hidden compartment?"

I sighed in relief and smiled at him as I turned towards the door, "You done good Miss Sookie, Miss Adele's right proud of you." Bubba was grinning like an idiot but right then I was just glad for the confirmation that I was, indeed, on the right track.

Once I'd walked downstairs and cooled myself down with another glass of sweet tea, my spirits lifted considerably. I heated another True Blood for Eric but got frustrated once again when I remembered Bubba's 'diet'. My southern manners desperately wanted to offer him refreshments but I couldn't.

As I sat down at the dining table Bubba shuffled in behind me and was humming a tune that sounded eerily like a part of 'Love me Tender'. A lump formed in my throat, Gran had loved that song. But it also reassured me because I knew then that she was still with me somehow, I just couldn't see her.

That got me back to what we had just found up there in that dusty old room. What kind of answers would I get? What kind of secrets would be revealed? What was so important that it had to be hidden in an old desk? What would that mean for me? Did this have something to do with my real grandfather, whoever he may be?

Damn, what was taking Eric so long? The uncertainty was making me stir crazy.

Just then there was a whoosh and Eric zoomed back into the room. He had a solid looking, wooden box in his hands as he sat down next to me at the head of the table. He carefully put the box down in front of me and looked at me expectantly.

"What," I asked, confused.

"Do you know what this is?" His voice was husky, almost reverent, like he had found a long lost treasure and couldn't believe he finally had it in his hands.

I gave him a look that said 'duh, of course I don't!' but I took a moment to take a closer look at the box. It was a kind of wood I'd never seen before. The grain of the annual rings seemed not of this world. They were curly and wavy; I couldn't imagine what the tree must have looked like. The box itself was beautiful! It didn't need any ornamentation because the workmanship itself was so detailed, so beautiful that it **was** the ornamentation. I don't think human hands could have accomplished something as fine and detailed as that box was.

"What **is** it," I finally asked. Cookie stirred inside me as if she was excited and I felt her … recognition?

"This, my sweet Sookie, is the symbolism of your Fae heritage."

_My Fae heritage_, I thought as I gently picked the box up and turned it this way and that in my hands; it was heavier than it looked but no so heavy that I couldn't lift it.

It wasn't very big, only about 10 inches long, 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep but it was beautiful.

I ran my fingers along the edges but couldn't feel any hinges or anything else to indicate how to open it.

I sat there perplexed for a moment until I remembered Bubba's words from the attic, _'open your _**eyes wider**'. _It had worked with the desk, so why not with this_, I thought. I closed my eyes and pictured the box in my mind and sure enough I saw what seemed to be a blueprint or drawing of the box and how it was put together. It seemed to be some kind of puzzle box but much more complicated than that. If you didn't know how to open it, you wouldn't be able to open it at all, other than destroying it. And I had a feeling even that was an almost impossible task.

With my eyes still closed I felt along the edges until I felt a tiny depression in the wood; I pushed on that depression lightly and the lid sprang open like a spring had pushed it from the inside.

I opened my eyes … and my breath caught in my throat as I looked inside.

There was the creamiest coloured material lining it. The material was so smooth it almost felt like silk but it wasn't any type of silk I had ever encountered.

Nestled in the material were what looked like several pieces of paper, a greenish coloured round object and a ring.

The ring looked to be made of silver and Eric's hiss when I picked it up confirmed that for me.

It was too big for my small fingers but it didn't look big enough to be a man's ring and there was some kind of raised design on it.

I sucked in my breath as a memory suddenly sprang to the surface:

_I was sitting on an older gentleman's lap. He was beautiful with silvery hair and pointy ears and he was letting me use the ring to stamp pretty designs in my Play Doh while he talked to my Gran._

I looked over at Eric, about to tell him of my memory when Bubba spoke again, "Miss Adele hasn't seen that ring since you were tiny Miss Sookie. She says it belonged to your Fairy Grandfather Fintan."

I startled in surprise. Still looking at Eric, I barely realized that he wasn't really surprised at the revelation. He just looked at me with an intensity I'd never seen on him before. Though I wasn't able to think about that. My head was still reeling from the word, "Fairy?" I squeaked. I was at least part Fairy? With fairy dust and wings and all? Did they even exist?

Bubba laughed quietly, "Not like you're picturing Miss Sookie. Them's but fairy tales meant to entertain children. Real fairies are beautiful," his voice was almost wistful, "they have pointy ears, sharp pointy teeth and they are people sized, not matchbox size. They do turn into dust when they die though."

I looked at my new guard; I didn't know if he knew this information because he had seen one or Gran was telling him but I was grateful. "Thank you Bubba," I said as I looked back at Eric. He still regarded me with these knowing eyes. Did he know about all this? But how could he?

Shaking my head, I picked up the shiny round greenish disc.

Holding that disc made me feel almost as peaceful as being in Eric's arms did. It made me feel … connected? Maybe? Like I was home?

Cookie decided to make her presence known again after being quiet for almost two hours, _'That, Sookie, is a 'cluviel dor', the rarest and most magical of artefacts from the land of the Fae. It is a portable portal. Once you come into your powers all you will have to do is picture where you want to be and hold onto it and you will be transported to that place.'_

I gasped at Cookie's words. _A portal? Really?_

_'__Yes Sookie, really. There are a few restrictions on how it can be used and where you can go but you have time to learn about that.'_

I felt something wet land on my hand, a tear. I was crying again, not tears of sadness though, tears of happiness and … relief? Why would I feel like that?

I reluctantly set the portal down, even though I desperately wanted to keep holding it, and wiped the tears from my face then dried my hands on my shorts before I picked up the papers.

They felt different: Not smooth like I was used to, more like they were homemade from all those bits of paper I had put into water and molded into a sheet of paper in science class in middle school.

Each one had my name on it, or at least I think they were my name. The writing was so curly and small I couldn't be sure.

"Miss Sookie, Miss Adele says Fintan wrote that top one for you himself and that is your name in the language of the Fae.

She also says there's a letter in there from her and a business card from your sponsor."

My head snapped up at that, "My sponsor? What's that?" I asked. That night was getting stranger and stranger. Fairies? Sponsors? Portable portals?

I looked at the portal and thought: _like Alice down the rabbit hole strange. Like White Rabbit strange._

Eric decided it was his turn to enlighten the newly initiated, "Sookie, a sponsor is…," he looked at Bubba, "Bubba, what's the word I'm looking for? Someone to look after her if something should happen to her parents."

Bubba looked thoughtful for a minute, "Mr. Eric, I think you're looking for Godparent. That's someone who vows to take care of a child if something should happen to its parents before the child comes of age."

Eric nodded, "Yes, thank you Bubba.

"Sookie, as you just heard a sponsor is responsible for you in the Supernatural World. He or she is meant to teach and guide you, much as a parent would.

"That role should have fallen to Fintan. Perhaps one of the letters will tell us what happened to him."

"You don't know," I asked, voicing the suspicion in the back of my mind.

He just smiled knowingly, "No, I don't."

I nodded and looked at the letters. They seemed to be folded over on themselves but I couldn't see any way of opening them.

_'__Say 'oghe' and pass your hand over them Sookie.'_

"Okie?" I said as I passed my hand over the letters which only made Cookie laugh. _'Oooogggggghhhheeeeeee', _she said, making sure I could hear each sound.

I sighed and tried again, "Oghe," as I passed my hand over the letters again. _'Much better,'_ she said as they fell open on the table in front of me_._

I picked up Grandfather's letter first and began to read. He had beautiful handwriting.

_'__My dearest, darling Sookie,_

_I am sorry I wasn't able to watch you grow and learn. I'm sure you are a remarkable young woman._

_If you are reading my words rather than hearing them from my lips it is because the fight I am going into tonight was my last. My father's enemy finally managed what he has set out to do; I have passed on to the Summerlands so am unable to come to you any longer._

_The ring you are probably holding in your hands is now yours Sookie. It is mine and I put it in here so you can prove to those who knew me that you are my blood, my kin._

_Since you've found the box and its contents it is time to tell you who you really are:_

_You, my dear Sookie, are part Fairy. You come from the House of Brigant and this line is one of the most powerful in the Fae race. My name is Fintan Brigant and I'm a half Fairy. You are the only one of my descendants who inherited the 'Fae spark'. That means you have dormant Fae powers inside you and that makes you more Fairy than human. The powers could become active when you reach fae maturity at 25 human years. Though they could take longer than that before they manifest._

_There is really no way to know since your human ancestry is the wildcard and could hold things back or speed them up._

_I'm sorry but I cannot tell you what most of those powers are since they usually vary from Fairy to Fairy although there are some which we all have._

_I can tell you that your powers will mostly be related to the sky and air since we are of the Sky Clan._

_You might also be able to do things like teleport, conjure things and read and speak different languages since most Faeries can do so._

_My father is Niall Brigant and my mother was his human wife Einin. My father is the ruling Prince of the Sky Fae Clan. That makes you royalty, Sookie. You are a princess._

_I must warn you though against seeing Niall. He has powerful enemies who would use you against him to gain their own ends and, while he is my father and I love him dearly, I'm afraid he would use you as well._

_If he ever tries to contact you it would be for the best to deny him. He may be your family but he's also a Fairy and Fairies are crafty, devious and vicious creatures, even more so than vampires._

_A Fairy cannot straight out tell a lie but be wary, they will rarely, if ever, tell you the straight truth either._

_One last warning before I go onto other things: Never thank a Fairy. If you do they will think you then owe them a favor in return. I know this is not how you think but it IS how they think so just be careful, if you should ever have a conversation with one of us, to never thank them._

_Now, on to other things._

_Sookie, I know life has been difficult for you, more so than even most Fae children since telepathy is not a Fairy trait._

_Your telepathy comes from my dear friend, and your sponsor, Desmond Cataliades. He's a demon lawyer who, at the time I wrote this, was a lawyer for the vampire Queen of Louisiana: A Sophie-Anne LeClerq.'_

I held the letter up to Eric and pointed out the name, "Have you ever heard of this man?"

Eric sat up straighter and raised his eyebrows into his hairline and looked perplexed as he looked at the letter before he looked back at me, "Sookie, that's not written in English. Only you are able to read it. Can you tell me the name please," he asked with a secretive smile on his lips.

Huh? Not written in English? Of course it's written in English. It's the only language I can speak other than the few Cajun and French words I picked up over the years. And I'm the only one who can read it? Was he bullshitting me?

I looked at him strangely but humored him, "Mr. Ca…cat…atal… aw hell! He's a demon lawyer who works for the Queen!"

He looked stunned for a second, "You mean Desmond Cataliades?" He looked at me for confirmation so I nodded, "I know him quite well actually. He's my lawyer and of course the queen's. Desmond is the best and most trusted Supernatural lawyer out there and he's the one I was referring to earlier. Why do you ask?"

"He's my sponsor," I said.

Eric sat back in his seat and looked at me open mouthed before he let out an astonished laugh, "All this time," he said quietly, most likely to himself. "All this time we've known each other and he has never mentioned you once." He chuckled and seemed to have a faraway look on his face.

I read the rest of the letter while Eric was lost in his thoughts:

_'__She is one of the few vampires you can trust Sookie. Don't be fooled by their good looks or the fact you cannot read their thoughts._

_The fact you can't read their thoughts should make you __**more**__ wary of them. Please, be careful._

_In this box you should also find my shares of the Pharmaceutical company my father started several years ago. It mostly deals with products for those Fae who live on this side of the portal. We are deathly allergic to lemons and iron so they make products which enable us to live here without too many harmful side effects._

_There should be two other stock certificates, Desmond's business card and a letter from Adele.'_

I looked at the other papers which fell open when I passed my hand over them: There were three.

One was 33% shares in the pharmaceutical company, another was for something called NorCroft Industries and the last one was SABB Consulting.

My eyes teared up when I saw Gran's familiar handwriting. I traced my name on the letter and I let my thoughts linger on her for a moment before I passed on to the largest business card I'd ever seen!

Desmond Cataliades

Supernatural Lawyer

1-504-555-1212

_'__In closing, dear girl, please know that I loved you very much. Please be safe and know that you have a Fairy Godmother watching over you every step of the way. She will reveal herself when the time is right._

_Your grandfather,_

_Fintan'_

I reread the letter before asking Eric, "What is NorCroft Industries and SABB Consulting?" He looked at me questioningly so I explained, "Fintan left stock certificates in here for those companies as well as a pharmaceutical company Niall owns." I extended the documents over to him while I spoke.

Eric grinned, "NorCroft is the company Pam and I started about 30 years ago; it's the parent company for all my other interests. Your grandfather held similar interests so he, Pamela and I each put in funds to start the company."

I looked at him in surprise. For one, because he finally answered my question about knowing Fintan; and two, I'd thought the bar was his only current business.

Then I shook my head at myself. I shouldn't have been surprised at all. At the time we've met I thought him to be a crafty businessman. I never got around to do research on him, which I need to rectify pretty quickly.

"You didn't think Fangtasia was my only business interest did you," he asked. Frankly he sounded quite amused by the prospect. I took the little jab because I was amused at myself.

I nodded embarrassed, "Sookie, I have many business interests including hotels, casinos, medical research and environmental research to name just a few.

"You will be quite a wealthy woman in your own right once Desmond executes Fintan's will, and that's without the income from SABB which is the queen's company."

I think my mouth was hanging open from the shock, "What do you mean, I will be wealthy?" Of course I understood what he was saying but I couldn't comprehend it.

Eric indulged me by explaining, "Once Fintan's will is executed and everything is transferred to your name, yes, you will. You have inherited a large part each in three successful companies."

Oh my! What should I do with that much money? What could I do with it? All the things I always wanted but were out of my reach and all my dreams seemed to be in arm's reach all of a sudden. For a moment I only saw dollar signs before my eyes. But then I slapped myself for even thinking such things. Money has never been important to me.

_'__Don't count your chickens before they hatch Sookie. Wait until you see exactly what those stocks are worth before you make any plans.' _Was Cookie channelling Gran now too? I don't know how many times she told me that through the years but it always stuck with me.

I picked up Gran's letter to try and distract myself from where my thoughts wanted to go:

_'__My dear, sweet girl,_

_If you're reading this I've either told you where to find Fintan's box or you managed to find it on your own after I passed on._

_Baby girl, there's no easy way to tell you this so I'll just say it: I had an affair, with Mitchell's knowledge and permission._

_If I hadn't you wouldn't be here because your Daddy wouldn't have been born._

_I met Fintan while I was out hanging the laundry and he took my breath away._

_He was gorgeous! He was tall and thin, he had long silvery hair and he was polite! Oh my was he polite!_

_He said he had been out walking in the woods and was thirsty so he asked for a glass of water which I gladly gave him._

_We sat and talked for hours that day; I've never met anybody since who was so easy to talk to, Sookie._

_Any way, he would come by every few days. Sometimes he would help Mitchell with whatever work he needed done and other times the three of us would sit and talk._

_One day we talked about children and how desperately I wanted them. You see, your granddaddy Mitchell couldn't give me any children because he had measles at the wrong time._

_Fintan said he could give them to us so with Mitchell's approval we made it happen._

_Except for those few times I was with Fintan I was always faithful to your grandfather Sookie but oh how that knowledge shames me even now!_

_I loved Mitchell with my whole heart but I loved the idea, and then the reality, of children even more._

_In my heart it doesn't matter that your granddaddy knew and approved of my infidelity because the day I married him I promised to be faithful and that is the one promise I was unable to keep and that knowledge burns baby girl, it burns like the fires of hell deep in my soul._

_I never regretted Corbett or Linda, only the means we took in order for them to be._

_Fintan stayed in his childrens' and grandchildrens' lives as long as he possibly could, especially once you were born, until one day he never came back._

_He had warned me that … well, I never saw him again after he hid this box away._

_He made this box for you himself Sookie, with his own hands._

_He said the wood was from a tree in Faerie._

_He started it the night you were born and worked on it as often as possible and finished it shortly before I last saw him._

_When you were born, Sookie, Fintan was so happy because he could feel that you were special. Neither of his children nor the grandchildren before you developed any Fae traits._

_Until you came along._

_I'm really sorry you find out this way. Fintan had forbidden us from telling you anything until 'the time was right'. I didn't know what he meant by that. But after he disappeared there never seemed to be the right time to tell you._

_I know this letter doesn't answer all your questions but I don't have them, I'm sorry my dear._

_I love you, baby girl, never forget that!_

_Gran'_

"I love you too, Gran," I whispered and wiped away a tear or two which were rolling down my face.

I sat there for a few minutes mulling over what I had just learned but finally stopped when I felt that little pain right behind my eyes that told me I was overthinking things.

Eric regarded me with an intense look, "You want to talk about this?" His tone was soft which sent shivers down my spine.

I sighed and thought about going through things with him from beginning to end but then I realized that I couldn't. It was too much for my brain to handle at the moment on top of everything else that had happened recently. I needed time to digest the information I received the last few hours for a few days and only then would I be able to go through it with a clear head.

So I shook my head and said, "No, not yet, but I'll fall back on your offer in a few days, if you don't mind."

Eric agreed and I tried to clear my head. I knew the only cure for that was by distracting myself, "Could you and Bubba help me move my things into Gran's room please?"

He looked at me in surprise, "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

I nodded uncertainly, "I need to finish going through her things, that's what I was doing when you got here, and I at least want to finish that before I go to bed."

They helped me box everything up and set it in the living room for someone from the church to take the next day and then they helped me move my clothes and other things to Gran's, well my new room, before they said good-night two hours or so before sunrise.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys!

Chapter 12 is ready for you! Thank you everyone for your numerous reviews. Honestly, they make us really happy and it gives us a boost that you like this story!

As for this chapter: We may have general idea about business stuff but we are far from experts! What we've written could be totally wrong! And keep in mind that it's not called fan-FICTION for nothing!

Alright?

Enjoy and have a good weekend!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12:<span>

I got up bright and early for some stupid reason. I had been pretty tired when I went to bed the night before, so even though I had been excited by what we'd discovered my brain was just too tired, not to mention on overload, so I'd gratefully sunken into one of those dreamless sleeps that leaves you feeling really refreshed when you wake up.

It was disconcerting to wake up in a familiar place yet not the place you're most familiar with so it took me a couple of minutes to remember that I had changed rooms the night before.

I got up and stretched as I walked to the window. It was a slightly hazy day but already promising to be stiflingly hot so once I did my morning routine and had a shower I put on a pair of my shortest shorts and a barely there tank top and went into the kitchen.

The light on the answering machine was blinking so I pressed the button to listen as I set the coffee maker up so it could do its thing.

'_Hey chére, good news. The bar's reopening next Monday, bright and early. I've got you down for the lunch shift so I'll see you then if I don't before that.'_

Great, I'd had so much going on that Sam and I had never gotten around to having that talk and I still needed to negotiate with Eric, too. _Sigh._ I knew I wanted to quit Merlotte's, though I would only do that once I had signed Eric's contract. But I should at least do it before I started working again so I could give Sam my two weeks notice. It was only Tuesday so I almost had the entire week to get things sorted out.

While I ate my breakfast I looked over the notes and questions I'd written down about the contract the day before and made my plan for the day.

I changed into something a little more publicly appropriate and went to Tara's Togs after I deposited Eric's check in my account.

I got a strange look from the cashier at the bank and her thoughts were far from flattering. '_What? Is he paying for it now? Why when he could have me for free!' _She preened just a little bit while thinking that. _'Surely she can't be that good at…', _her thoughts went all graphic so I slammed my shields up and gave her my Crazy Sookie smile. Her body seemed to react to her thoughts as well and my senses were assaulted by the scent of her arousal coupled with her own body odour. Cookie didn't like it one bit either. She was growling low in her throat; like her fur had been rubbed the wrong way. That's probably why I couldn't keep my mouth shut: She couldn't let it stand, "You know," I leaned slightly forward to read her name tag, "Estelle, I haven't even _seen_ that particular body part so he must be paying for something else; like maybe a brain? Humility?" I straightened up, squared my shoulders and stuck my chest out proudly, "Or maybe the real thing?"

Her eyes went wide when I mentioned her botched boob job and she slumped forward to try and hide them, "If you think that's the only attribute he's good for, you're dumber than I thought!"

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again with a snap. Smart woman.

Instead she finally called the manager over so he could approve such a large single deposit.

A half hour after I walked into the bank I walked out again, while silently seething, and headed for Tara's store.

Tara knew my financial situation so always put things away for me that she thought I'd like when they went on sale; I wanted to look nice that night.

I'd called Fangtasia before I left the house and left a message for Eric that I'd be there shortly after dark so we could discuss business; hopefully he wasn't going to be busy.

Tara was folding sweaters when I walked in; she squealed when she looked up as the bell rang, "Sookie! Looking good! I'm glad to see you out and about again," she said as she gave me a hug.

My spirits lifted immediately at her good mood and I grinned back at her, "It's good to be out and about Tara. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen the sun and done something just for the pleasure of doing it."

She held me at arm's length and studied me critically, "You are looking a bit pale though."

I sighed, "I know Tara. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Merlotte's is reopening on Monday so that should help but that's not why I'm here. You remember Eric?"

At her quizzical look I clarified for her, "The tall, blonde, hunk of a vampire from the night of Gran's burial."

Her face lit up, "I sure do. You seem to like him if all the slow dancing with him was any indication that night."

My face burned crimson!

"Aha! I knew it! I have just the thing for tall, blonde and dangerous to see you in."

I followed her to the back where she kept her holds and returns since that's where the change rooms were as well, "Tara, I've got something to tell you but you can't tell anybody else since it's not set in stone yet."

She looked at me curiously over her shoulder as she rifled through the clothing. It wasn't often I had more than regular old gossip to tell her so my knowing something before others, while not uncommon because of the telepathy, was newsworthy because I could actually tell it since it was my own news, "I've had a job offer from Eric to work as an investigator and help him with human relations."

Tara dropped the dress she had been holding and grabbed me in a hug; I was flummoxed though. Tara knew about what actual skin to skin contact did to my telepathy but she didn't seem to care.

_'__It's about damn time! Somebody __**finally**__ sees something more than Crazy Sookie,' _she thought excitedly.

She squealed right in my ear before she let me go, "It's about damn time Sook! You're too good for this backwater mud hole and just think about all those mysteries you've read over the years. Maybe you'll finally get to solve some of your own." Tara was grinning from ear to ear and her excitement was infectious. By the time I left her store I was grinning like an idiot, a couple of hundred dollars poorer and had a dinner date with her and Lafayette so they could doll me up.

Lafayette was just as excited by the news as Tara had been and he came with his A-game, too.

By the time they were done with me I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. I had never really considered myself to be a looker despite the D sized chest, waspish waist and blonde hair but what I was looking at then was good enough for a magazine cover.

I had on a sleeveless salmon coloured knee length dress that flared at the hips and it had a triangular cut out at the top of my breasts to show a bit of cleavage without making me feel naked or self conscious.

The shoes had a four inch heel and were the same color as the dress with gold straps and a peep toe. I even managed to find a gold handbag to go with it!

I knew it was supposed to be 'just' a contract negotiation but why couldn't I go looking and feeling my best?

By that point I knew I was falling in love with Eric - my heart started fluttering just thinking about seeing him again - and I was going to do my damnedest to make him fall in love with me too. I already knew he felt something; why else would he have done everything he had already done for me if he didn't?

I wanted to wow him from the moment he saw me; I was hoping that dress would do the trick.

Lala did my nails in a glittery gold but I did manage to talk them into leaving my hair down and only curling the ends slightly.

Cookie was prowling around in excitement as well. She knew something was going on and I'm pretty sure she had an idea of what it was, too.

Both Tara and Lala stood on my front porch and watched me drive away, looking for all the world like proud parents.

That drive to Fangtasia was vastly different from the last one since I surprisingly didn't have a stalker or a killer on my tail so I was able to just relax and enjoy the drive, singing along to the radio, loudly and very off key, every once in a while.

Since it was so early I was able to get a parking spot much closer to the door, thank god, which meant my poor feet wouldn't pay the price of high fashion for very long.

Pam came up to the door - where a very good looking human guy was carding the people in line - just as I did; she licked her lips and her fangs came down as she eyed me head to toe, "You **do** look delicious tonight Sookie, good enough to eat in fact. Isn't there a saying that you are what you eat?"

I nodded and looked at her, not really knowing where in the world she was going with that line but curious just the same, "You must have eaten something simply delicious then because you are absolutely mouthwatering," she licked her lips again and there was this glint in her eye that had red flags waving in my brain.

"Thanks Pam, I think," I said nervously. "Is Eric in yet?" Yes, a safer topic, definitely a much safer topic.

She grinned but quickly growled at the grumbling line behind me, "I called him when I heard your message Sookie so he should be here any moment.

"Come." She linked our arms together as we clicked our way to Eric's table. She had a waitress bring me a Coke to drink while I waited and she went back to man - woman? - the door.

_Slut … better than her._

_Master won't like that._

I snorted to myself_. Oh, Master will like it very much, I'm sure of it_, I thought with amusement.

I hadn't even sat there for two full minutes when a rumble went through the crowd; a certain Viking had just made his entrance. I turned towards the back hallway where he had appeared and watched as he put an extra swagger in his step as he made a beeline right for me.

Suddenly there was something in the air, a whispering, and the air around me changed like a low pressure change in the weather. I don't know why but I let my instincts take over and ducked. Cookie was growling and clawing to be let out for some strange reason. Something went whizzing by where my head had been a moment before and all of a sudden both Eric and Pam were right there beside me, pushing me down to the floor. They were scanning the immediate area and trying to figure out what had happened.

For a moment I lay dazed on the floor, not comprehending what had happened or how I could have developed such reflexes but Eric and Pam being at my side got me back into action quickly.

I slammed my mental shields down as far as I could and scooped the thoughts from every patron in there, looking for a clue of what had happened..

_What the…?_

_Hope the bitch was hurt, he should be with me._

_Dayum, that was some fine shot._

Shot? Someone shot at me? I zeroed in on that last thought and dug through his brain, looking to see if he saw who it was and what they had done.

There was an image of a redheaded woman but her face was distorted either by his own vision of her or her anger. She was leveling a gun at the back of my head, steadying her hand, slowly squeezing the trigger. Her face relaxed for a moment as the bullet sped out of the gun and I recognized her, "Arlene!"

Shock went through me that someone had attempted to shoot me and even more so that it was Arlene who did it. I knew she had gone off her rocker but I didn't know that she hated me enough to kill me. On the other hand, it didn't surprise me at all. Her boyfriend had been a serial killer after all and she had been okay with it, she had even encouraged him.

I looked up at Eric who was kneeling beside me and shielding me with his body, concern etched on his face, "Eric, it was Arlene, Renee's accomplice.

_'__Stupid bitch! It should have been her! Now Coby'll never get the chance to really know his daddy.'_

Eric barked out some orders and then Pam zoomed away. He scanned me from head to toe, apparently looking for injuries. There was a fire in his eyes, hot and angry, and he looked at me with an intensity than seemed to burn me from within.

I gulped and squeaked out, "I'm okay, Eric. I'm not injured."

He said nothing, just grunted and picked me up from the floor. Another few harsh orders and the vampires in the bar grabbed a few humans each and glamoured them into staying in the building without a complaint, mind you I think they would have stayed anyway just for the free drinks and the chance at first hand gossip.

I watched the spectacle over Eric's shoulder while he carried me off to his office. Once we got there the door banged shut behind us which made me jump before Eric sat me down carefully on the couch like I was precious cargo.

Then he began to pace the confines of his office, from one wall to the other - vampire fast. I watched him for a few seconds but soon became dizzy with how fast he went. After a few more seconds I couldn't watch him anymore and got up to step into his path. For some reason I didn't understand yet I knew he would never intentionally hurt me.

His shoe soles squeaked on the linoleum when he stepped on the brakes, so to speak, right in front of me: His chin was mere inches away from my forehead. I held back my amusement and laid a hand on his chest.

"Stop it, Eric. You're making me dizzy and I'm okay, nothing happened." I knew he was concerned about me because the bond was pulsing with it and he was angry, oh so angry: My head threatened to explode from it.

Apparently it was not the right thing to say because he finally lost it, "Nothing happened?!" he thundered. "Someone got into the bar with a gun and attempted to shoot you! How the hell could that happen? I swore to protect you and someone tried to shoot you in my very own bar! On my watch!" His eyes became even darker and more murderous. Electricity crackled in the air and I could actually see it as a few sparks danced over my skin. Every single hair on my body stood up straight.

Holy shit! How was that possible?

I looked up at him in astonishment and then there it was: storm, lightning and thunder were at war in his eyes. I could actually see the dark storm clouds covering the blue sky while they were shooting lightning bolts down to earth. The sea was in heavy turmoil, I knew no ship would be able to stand the strain.

My breath got stuck in my throat and my mouth dropped open. I knew I wasn't seeing things and I also knew it was meant to tell me something but that image was hard to comprehend. Every time when we … yes, when we exchanged blood, the image became more and more vivid and colorful.

The bubble burst and I nearly jumped out of my skin when the office door banged open and Pam came stomping in, each stomp sounding like a gunshot in the confined space, pushing Arlene roughly in front of her.

Eric growled dangerously low in his throat and I could feel that he was within a hair's breadth of attacking.

The electricity seemed to increase even more if possible and I had the feeling it was sucking the air out of the room. Instinctively I tried to calm him down by sending soothing waves through the bond. It took a few minutes but it finally seemed to work and he didn't look like a bull about to charge the matador any more.

Arlene looked scared to death though - with good reason - and her thoughts were all muddled so I couldn't make heads or tales of what she was really thinking.

Only the images were crystal clear: _Renee's coffin, Coby and Lisa with tears on their cheeks, Arlene's reflection of a disheveled woman, hair pointing every which way, sadness and anger in her eyes; a man I didn't know talking to her and he looked gleeful; driving, endless driving; the look of fear in her kids' eyes as they watched her slowly lose her mind._ There were a lot of images there but I couldn't catch all of them.

My mind started working again when I saw the image of the man. Who was he? What did he have to do with anything? In a swirl of images where she was sad and angry why was he so happy?

I didn't like Arlene but there was no reason I couldn't be compassionate about her loss, "Arlene honey…"

That got her attention real quick and her fear turned to anger, "Don't you honey me you fangbanging whore!" She spat. She grimaced as Pam's fingernails dug into her shoulders, "You're the reason my Coby's daddy'll never see him grow up. You're the one who killed my poor Renée!" Venom; she was filled with so much vitriol and she was determined to get it all out.

"It should've been you being put in that box, not him! He never did nothing to you that you didn't deserve you bitch! You killed him! My poor Renée!" She lunged at me but Pam shoved her back down into the chair so fast I don't think she even realized she'd moved.

I snorted, I couldn't help it, "Poor Renée my ass, Arlene. He was murdering women! It didn't matter whether they had been with vampires or not! He was a murderer! And you helped him."

"Of course I helped him Sookie," she sneered, looking like she was going to have to gargle with bleach or something just for having said my name, "vampires aren't natural. They're devil's spawn. They kill for sport, they're not human!"

"Vampires are no better or worse than humans Arlene. After all, they were once human themselves.

"Look at humans throughout history who have done nothing BUT kill humans." She looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Okay Arlene, you don't believe me? How about Vlad the Impaler? He roasted children and fed them to their mothers. He cut off women's breasts and fed them to their husbands and he had the heads of hundreds of thousands of his so called enemies on pikes around the capital. He was a real person Arlene, just as real as you and me."

Her eyes went wide when she heard my recitation, "Like I would believe anything you say! The person you call Vlad the Impaler was actually Dracula! He didn't just impale them, he drained them then gave them what they deserved for worshipping a false god!"

I laughed even though it wasn't funny. I didn't know who was feeding her that horseshit but they were obviously twisting the facts to make their own story more believable.

"You are very wrong about that Ms. Fowler," Eric said as he took over the conversation. "There is no Dracula and there never has been. It's an old wive's tale meant to frighten children into staying indoors after dark. Sookie is right, Vlad the Impaler was as human as you are," he continued, ignoring her venomous looks.

"Vlad Dracul was actually his father but the word 'Dracul' means 'Dragon' and has nothing to do with vampires. They only said he was a vampire because of the gruesome things he did and of all the blood he spilled since they didn't want others to believe a human was capable of something like that. But they are Ms. Fowler."

Arlene looked like she would rather swallow arsenic than be in the room with us, "I don't believe you! You're one of them devils. Not a word of truth comes out of your mouth," she screeched and then disgustingly spat at his feet. I wanted to put my hands over my ears she was so loud. That woman was completely off her rocker.

But I didn't want to give up, "How about we go with something more recent then?

"What about Hitler? That was less than a hundred years ago.

"He killed thousands and thousands of Jewish men, women and children, even babies, just because he hated them; because they weren't _Aryan;" _I emphasized Aryan like she emphasized vampire and devil and felt like I wanted to gargle with thumbtacks since they couldn't feel any worse in my mouth than talking about the sadistic whims of the human condition. _"_They weren't blonde haired and blue eyed but they were humans Arlene, just like you are.

"He robbed them of their property and took it for himself; then put them into concentration camps and caged them up like animals. And then he gassed them after he made them dig their own graves. He condoned medical experimentation on **human beings! **

"He also killed their sympathisers, those who tried to hide them from him because they didn't believe in 'Mein Kampf'. They didn't believe that Hitler, who was elected and 'did do some wonderful things' early in his career, was right in starting a war simply because someone didn't look like his ideal.

"Did they deserve it, Arlene? Did they? No, they didn't and he wasn't blue eyed and blond either so, by rights, he should have put himself in one of those concentration camps."

I was on a roll so I went right on, "What about Osama Bin Laden, Arlene? He's a lot more recent. How about 9/11? Saddam Hussein? Idi Amin? Pol Pot? Any of this ringing a bell Arlene?"

She just continued to look at me like I was crazy.

I sighed and turned to Eric, "Eric, there's so many holes in her brain, so many shades and shadows, I don't know what her own thoughts are any more but I do know that she believes what she's saying. She always has as long as I've known her. Everything she's said today she believes with her whole heart."

He looked like he wanted to ask me something but thought better of it; probably a wise choice given our current company.

I turned back to Arlene, "Who was the smiling man in your thoughts Arlene?" I had a feeling he was important in the scheme of things. That was originally what I wanted to talk to her about but got sidetracked by the talk about murderous vampires and humans.

She actually smiled! It was scary and totally unlike her, then again maybe it wasn't since she'd already had whoever he was in her bed and she only ever smiled when she had her hooks into some poor schmuck.

"That, my dear Sookie, was Whit Spraddlin. He runs the Fellowship church over in Minden." I felt Eric tense beside me and I watched as Arlene got this awful look on her face. It was a mix of complete distaste for something and love-sick teenager.

But it suddenly all made sense then. All her talking about Religion, 'worshipping false gods' and 'devil's spawn' was due to the 'Fellowship of the Sun'. They'd brainwashed her to the point of madness!

I had no sympathy for their shit, so I spat right back, "You moved on fast, Arlene! **Poor** Renée!" Sarcasm was dripping from my words but I couldn't help it.

She smiled even more maniacally. God, she really was crazy!

And everybody called **me** crazy? Hah!

Eric took over the conversation from there, "Ms. Fowler since you are supposedly human and your crime was against one," the disgust in his voice was more than apparent, "I will turn you over to the human police to go through your justice system."

For a split second Arlene looked totally surprised - I know I was - and from her thoughts she honestly didn't think a vampire could be so kind. How going to jail was kind was beyond me, unless it was so her kids wouldn't lose both parents in less than a month which, honestly, I didn't think she could grasp the concept of.

When her thoughts were suddenly transparent and silent I looked at Eric; he had caught her with his gaze. I watched Arlene's brain as he got all the information he could on the Fellowship from her and afterwards told her what was going to happen and what she was going to be doing for the foreseeable future.

He also had Pam give her a couple of drops of her blood so they could track her from then on.

By the time he was through the police were already there and took her into custody.

Big city police were certainly more thorough, and less prejudiced, than the Bon Temps Sheriff's department; more efficient too. We were done in about two hours and I hadn't felt like smacking one of them for their thoughts at all.

When they left, Arlene in tow, along with the statements and contact information from all the witnesses, I plopped down on the couch and sighed in relief.

Eric took the seat next to me and looked at me pensively, "What did you mean when you said 'there are so many shades and shadows in her brain'?"

I was quiet for a moment and contemplated how to explain what I was seeing, "Every person's thought pattern is different, just like their voices or fingerprints are different.

"People don't think in actual sentences or straight lines, most of the time it's more like a mix of pictures and random words which may or may not be related to the pictures.

When you guys glamour a person, like Arlene, a mind becomes blank and transparent, like it actually stops working. When you erase a chunk of memory and don't fill it up again there is a hole where the memory should be.

"It's just a theory I have at the moment but I have a strong inkling that when you replace a memory with a new one, the original memory becomes a shadow in the background of the new memory. It's still there but dormant, a shadow with no texture. I saw that several times in Arlene's mind the night Renée tried to kill me. And even more strongly in Renée's brain. I'm pretty sure it was Bill who did that to them: The shadows in their minds appeared when he glamoured them to do his bidding."

"Can you prove it was Bill who glamoured them, Sookie?" he asked curiously.

I hated to disappoint him, "Not yet. I haven't seen it enough to be able to draw comparisons or practice with it."

He turned his head to the side, "We **need** to practise this. I assume your telepathy is getting stronger due to my blood. This could become quite a gift, Sookie."

I made a face but knew he was right. It was time to finally accept that my telepathy was a gift and not a curse. It was part of me and I didn't think it would just go away. I had come to that realization the night before when I had read the letters. It had been given to me for a reason and I would get to the bottom of things when we met that demon lawyer - let's just call him Mr. C. since his full name is a such a mouthful - in New Orleans. So I just nodded in agreement.

Eric seemed satisfied with my reaction and changed the subject, "Now Sookie, Pam said you had some business to discuss with me?"

In all the hubbub of the evening I had totally forgotten that!

I nodded and grabbed the envelope I had put all my notes and the contract in and handed them to him, "Yeah. I finally got a chance to go over the contract and do my own research. I want to do it but not until we have a contract we can both agree on."

Over the next few hours we discussed my stipulations and reservations. We negotiated, we argued and we laughed. At the end of the night Eric had developed a new department called 'Vampire/Human Resources' for his parent company 'NorCroft' with me as the manager.

His idea was brilliant. Once Fintan's will was read and executed I would have full control of the Vampire/Human Resources department; it would be mine to do with as I pleased including hiring and firing of staff and I would be as hands on with resolving any issues or conflicts as I wanted to be.

He did suggest though, and I agreed, that we would keep on the person currently on staff who dealt nominally with any issues arising between the human employees and vampires since she had been doing it since they started the company and had a lot to offer someone who was just starting out.

Eric did some calculations and he figured that with all the profits that should have gone to Fintan over the years, he could give me a salary instead of giving it all to me in one lump sum with the salary coming from the years of untouched money Fintan had left me. That sounded much better to me than getting the whole money in one big sum. I think I would be too overwhelmed with seeing a number with that many zeros plus it's harder to spend it all if you don't have it all.

Once everything was done with the will he would then give me a recommendation for a Financial Manager to help me figure out what to do with the money, I would be listed as the holder of the shares and I would get any moneys the same way everyone else did.

In the meantime I would get the equivalent of $100,000 a year, which was a little higher than the average salary for someone doing a similar job in a fully human company. I thought it was a little too high but there was no way to argue with him about it since he said that not only was I worth every penny of that amount but it was non-negotiable; he was going to pay me what **he **thought I was worth whether anybody else agreed with him or not. He also pointed out that I wouldn't be working for a fully human company, nor was I fully human, so there was an inherent danger in working with Supes, short for Supernaturals, which accounted for the $40,000 or so difference. And that - he pointed out - was barely enough to cover everything. I just looked at him with big eyes.

The telepathy contract was a separate entity.

For the purposes of Human Income Tax I was listed as an investigator and trouble shooter but in the Supernatural World I would be known as exactly what I was, a Telepath for Hire. I would work mainly for him but I could also contract out to other parties like the queen and other Supernaturals.

My coming out as a telepath was my idea, not Eric's, and he did try to convince me that it wasn't necessarily a good idea to let everyone know what it was that I did. I still had some reservations about it as well, but as I'd come to realize, it was better to come out with it on my own terms than somebody else's. I would take the bull by it's horns, so to speak. I was tired of hiding it. I was tired of people belittling me or stamping me as crazy. Cookie played a major part in it as well. She was whispering in my head, encouraging me to step forward and take a stand. She also pointed out that if I let everyone know what I was, and what I could do, then if I DID go missing then Eric would have allies to help find me and get me back where I belonged. In fact, I think that was the argument that finally won Eric over to my side.

Eric would act as my manager of sorts and would need to approve of any contracts but I would have the final right of refusal. They would all need to sign their own contract with me which stated all my stipulations and they would pay me hourly. The rate would depend on the danger it would bring along with it; the rate went up for weekend work, travelling, protection and the rate doubled if I had to work on a Federally Recognized holiday like Christmas or Independence Day. The 15% contractor's fee, 5 per cent of which would benefit Eric personally, would be going right back into his parent company.

The job dealing with the relations between humans and vampires sounded like it would be a lot of work, and not all of it would be of the 9 to 5 variety either.

Besides using my telepathy I would screen and interview the staff of Eric's companies and any other clients that would hire me. I would do pretty much anything to do with humans that would guarantee a smoother interaction between them and vampires. Furthermore I would go online and subscribe to any newspaper within a three hour radius around Shreveport as well as the largest newspapers throughout Louisiana. That way I would keep an eye on trends, I would watch for murder and activities of the Fellowship of the Sun and pretty much anything that could endanger the vampires in the state.

When my business was doing well enough I would need to take on employees who would be doing the day to day stuff - like sift through the newspapers - because Eric anticipated it wouldn't stay only within Louisiana.

He even encouraged me to extend my studies and add some single courses in political sciences so I would have a basic understanding of politics; and a course in police science to help me with the investigative part of my job. He also suggested a full course in business management and some courses in Human Relations. I was actually happy to do all of that since I was almost done with my masters degree in history anyway. The semester was almost over and all I needed to do was find a topic for my master's thesis. Well, I had the perfect person for that sitting right in front of me.

Anyway, if I had a few extra courses for my job I would be totally up to it. I had always been hungry for knowledge and I couldn't wait to begin!

We weren't done though, not by a long shot. When it came to my stipulations like adding a no biting and no turning clause and hazard pay Eric was totally up for that. He was proud that I had thought about the dangers that came with working for vampires.

But he had a few requests of his own, "You will get a bodyguard in addition to Bubba. Every time you are with a client and preferably when you're at home as well he or she will be with you when I cannot be." I scowled and opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off even before I had taken a breath. "This is non-negotiable! Working with Supernaturals is very dangerous and I will not risk you again like I did with the Bon Temps killer. I was too lax with that and I regret that deeply."

"Eric, I'm not complaining about having a bodyguard while on the job. I really appreciate that but I don't need one at home. Bubba should be enough. And with the money you'll be paying me and I'm going to inherit, I want to invest in a security system anyway. Then I won't need someone there with me."

"Yes, you do, Sookie! Even a security system is not foolproof. A person - human or Supe - who is determined enough to do you harm will get around something like that. You will make enemies, Sookie.

"Not everyone will appreciate what you do and since you are advertising yourself as a Telepath it will be inevitable that others will try to get your skills for themselves exclusively. Vampires especially will want you for themselves. Even if you were bonded to me not everyone would take that into consideration. They would try to take you from your life, your home and your family and friends with absolutely no thought to what your wishes in the matter might be. Most vampires think they are above the law, human or otherwise, and they will do everything in their power to gain you as their asset. Some would even try to turn you, regardless of contract or bond, just so they could have you for themselves since no one, not even the council, can come between a maker and his or her child."

I gulped loudly when I heard that final argument. I hadn't thought about being a vampire at that point but I certainly didn't want someone to take that choice away from me.

"Then there's your next door neighbor." He got that stony faced look going. Nope, He neither liked nor trusted Bill Compton and I couldn't really say I blamed him since I didn't like or trust my neighbor either.

"I thought that was what Bubba was for?" That's what Eric had implied any way.

"Bubba's too easily distracted and Compton is older than Bubba so it would be fairly easy for him to take Bubba down, famous or not."

The thought of someone hurting my famous bodyguard had my blood boiling in a matter of seconds. In the 24 hours I had to known him it seemed I'd gotten very protective of him.

And for some reason I trusted Eric and I knew he had several lifetimes worth of experience; enough experience at any rate that I thought he knew what he was talking about. The look on his face when I finally relented was enough to tell me that I had made the right decision but I didn't want to inflate his Texas sized ego any more than it already was by telling him that.

Anyway, focusing back on the contract, I would be given a full package of bonuses from him which were not even included in the salary: the newest notebook computer including any speciality software I might need, including upgrades when required, and the fastest internet access available, a cell phone with mobile internet, clothing allowance, health insurance including vision, dental and hospitalization, sick leave, one week paid vacation with a second week added after 3 years, one year maternity leave - which floored me to no end because the state doesn't have mandatory maternity leave, although I didn't have the heart to tell him that I didn't plan on having children anyway - general Bereavement leave and last but not least a company car with built in GPS and LoJack systems. We argued about the latter quite heavily, "Eric, I don't need a company car, mine is still driveable."

He laughed, quite heartily. It was a beautiful sound - and sight - which made my heart beat a million miles an hour. "Driveable or not my dear Sookie, you will be representing me and my company and that yellow rust bucket you call a car will have my employees, investors and others thinking I don't care about my company or them, when I do. I care very much.

"What about your own clients? What would you think of someone who drove what you're driving? Would you want to do business with them or would you search further afield a try to find someone who at least looks like they take pride in their business?

"Anyway, your car is a death trap! It looks like it will fall apart any second. What if you are in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and your car dies? Cell phone reception is spotty at best in the backcountry - and this is a damn swamp anyway - so you won't always be able to get a signal; what would you do then? There are creatures roaming the night who aren't as nice as me, Sookie. And even if I can feel when you're in danger, I won't always be able to come to you fast enough, or at all if it's during the day.

"Besides, you **can **still drive the rust bucket for your own personal needs Sookie although I would advise against it. Have you thought about what would happen if you have to outrun someone like Renée? Do you think your car would survive that, especially if it's as well kept as your driveway?"

I was mute as a mouse after he ended his tirade. I know he was right but it was still hard to go against my upbringing. I may not be as bad as Gran had been but things like getting a car for free was still hard to accept.

I tried to remember what I had learned earlier; that we were in the 21st century so the things my Gran had learned when she was young then taught me weren't necessarily a hard and fast truth any more.

I had a thought, and it sounded like the perfect compromise to me, "What if you bought the car, like you were saying, and I paid you back half the money? That way I have a reliable vehicle which doesn't look like it was made during the stone age and I don't feel so guilty for taking something I don't feel I like I've earned."

Eric smiled at me, "That is an acceptable compromise Sookie.

"Now, I will get this typed up and send it off to the lawyer so it will be ready while we are in New Orleans this weekend."

I nodded in agreement at the same time as his phone rang.

"It's Sophie-Anne," Eric said after looking at the display.

I hate listening to only one half of a conversation so I went out into the club to get a drink while he dealt with whatever it was. I was surprised to see that it was almost empty; I looked at my watch and couldn't believe it when I saw that it was after 2:00 am! Last call must have just rang through.

I sat on one of the bar stools and listened to the music; they had the radio playing something slower than what I usually heard when I was there. Surprisingly Savage Garden's 'Truly, Madly Deeply' came on.

I saw Eric coming out of the back hallway with the first strains of the song and he was smiling a little bit.

I sighed to myself, though couldn't help but ogle him as he came my way. The swagger in his hips was back and I knew he did it on purpose. Eric knew he was beautiful and he took advantage of it in every way he could.

Although at that moment it was all for me. I knew because the bond between us started to hum with a sinful mix of anticipation and invitation for something more to come.

When he asked me to dance I just about dropped my glass; my heart started hammering in my chest in excitement. I love to dance and and I loved it even more with Eric. I just hadn't expected to be able to do so that night so I sat my glass on the bar behind me and took his proffered hand.

"Shall we?" He led me out to the dance floor and held me close as we moved to the music. "You look lovely tonight Sookie." His voice was low and husky when he spoke.

I flushed a little bit; I had been a bit disappointed that he hadn't noticed, apparently he had and we'd just had too much else going on for him to have had a chance to say anything. And despite all the commotion the dress was still intact, thank god. "Thank you Eric." I couldn't say anything else, could I? Would it be too forward to tell him I dressed up just for him? That I was falling in love with him? For some reason I felt too shy about it that night.

"Can you tell me what the phone call was about?" Yes, a subject change is always a good thing.

He laughed quietly, "You're not comfortable with compliments," he stated. No shit Sherlock! I've never had anybody **to** compliment me! "And yes, I can. The queen wants us in New Orleans this weekend."

"Merlotte's is reopening Monday so I have to be back for that," I told him since I hadn't had a chance to yet.

"You're not still planning on working there are you?" His low voice was doing things to me and Cookie was noticing; she was prowling around and purring quietly. He dropped his head slightly into my hair. Was he smelling me? I know I was enjoying his scent that had engulfed me the moment he had taken me into his arms, very much.

I sighed quietly, "No. I was just waiting to sign the contract with you then I was going to give my two weeks notice." Did we really have to talk about that right then? It was so nice just to be held by him.

Oh, wait. I started it.

'_Yes, you did! So shut up and enjoy_', Cookie admonished me.

_Okay, okay!_ I relented and nestled my head against his chest.

"Good! Very good." His tone was husky and I could feel a rumble in his chest. I didn't know if it was in response to what I'd said before or me cuddling up against him but it didn't really matter since I was just as content.

I got my answer when he wrapped his arms more tightly around me. He was getting better at giving hugs and it seemed that he was starting to enjoy it as well because the bond between us was humming with contentment. I sighed again and closed my eyes.

_I could stay like this forever_, I thought.

"Why, Ms. Stackhouse, forever is a long time," he rumbled in my ear.

My eyes flew open and I looked up at him, "Did I just say that out loud?"

Eric chuckled in amusement, "That you did." His eyes turned to a smoldering blue and he stared at me with an intensity that melted my insides into a gooey mess. Liquid heat pooled down below and made my panties uncomfortably wet.

His nostrils flared and then there was a low rumbling growl in the air that sounded suspiciously like a hungry lion. My breathing became heavier as I watched him dropping his face towards mine. I knew what he wanted so I craned my neck up and we met in the middle with a sensual and passionate kiss.

Feeling the soft texture of his lips made my heart speed up in a wild staccato. I moaned into his mouth as he stroked my lips with his tongue, seeking entrance. Of course I granted it and our tongues moved in a slow, sensual dance much like our bodies were.

I didn't know how my arms wrapped around his neck or when he lifted me up but I suddenly found myself sitting on the … desk in his office? How did that happen? In a big crash Eric had cleared a path on the surface and had laid me down.

Oh … holy shit!

He leaned over me and began to attack my throat with his tongue. He seemed to know all the spots that drove me wild. I was moaning really loud, my inhibitions and thoughts of decency flew right out the window. And when he put his right hand on my knee and began to move it up my naked inner thigh I was so turned on I thought I would spontaneously combust. The skirt of my dress had ridden up and he took full advantage. Moving closer his thighs pushed between my legs and I could feel his hard length where I hurt the most.

Oh my god!

He began to move his pelvis and I couldn't hold back anymore, "Errrriiiccc!" I was so turned on I didn't know if I wanted to scream from joy or start crying from frustration.

My legs automatically wrapped tightly around his waist and pulled him even closer against me.

Eric chuckled and the vibration sent shock waves through my body. I wanted to … no, I needed to come or I was going to die, I was sure of it.

He let go of my throat and looked at me. His eyes were shining with lust and mirth, "What Sookie? What do you want," he asked in this husky tone that sent shivers down my spine and he accentuated his every word with a rub against my center.

I glared at him because I knew he wanted to tease me. Thanks to the bond he knew exactly what I needed. But he seemed to want me to say it out loud. So I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and yanked him down to give him a hard kiss, "Make me come, you bastard! Don't you dare tease me," I growled when I came up for air again.

Oh, the look on his face. He couldn't suppress his surprise and astonishment that I was brazen enough to say something like that out loud.

I may have still been a virgin but I wasn't too shy to say what I wanted any more. No, the Southern Belle who would have blushed furiously at such an admission and would have slapped him in the face was finally gone. Or Cookie had taken over my brain. Either way, I didn't care anymore. I wanted an orgasm and I was going to get one. There and then!

To emphasize my words I pulled him even harder against me with my legs and I threw back my head at the friction. Pleasure shot through my body and a knot started to form at the center that would make me a very happy and sated woman in a very short time.

Eric smirked at me, "Oh, kitty has claws, I love it!"

Cookie bared her fangs at what she was referred to. She was a lioness, not a damn kitty. I growled her frustration loudly but it was cut short when Eric took my words to heart and moved his hand into my barely there panties.

"Oh my … fuuuuck! Errrriiiiccc!" I screamed as his thumb massaged my already swollen pearl.

"You are so hot and wet," he growled and then moved his face into the cut out at my breasts. It was big enough for his mouth to nibble and suck on the skin. He doubled his efforts with his thumb and stroked my clit in fast circles.

I literally saw stars and started to pant heavily. I screwed my eyes shut as I felt the pressure build up to the point of pain.

It was almost too much for me to handle and when I thought I couldn't take anymore, I finally exploded like a volcano. I screamed as shock wave after shock wave rolled through my body.

For a very long time all I could do was take big gulps of air until I was able to open my eyes again.

Eric was looking at me with a smug look on his face but all I wanted to do was kiss it off. But before I could do that he moved his hand - which was still in my panties - and sucked his thumb into his mouth. His eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he moaned when he tasted my juices. My breath hitched as I saw his still hard length twitching in his pants. I moved my hand to his crotch but before I could touch him he caught my wrist.

"Soon, my Sookie! Very soon!"

I whimpered in displeasure. I wanted to touch him badly but I was denied. And soon was still too long to wait.

Cookie agreed wholeheartedly. She had finally gotten a taste of what he was capable of in bed and wanted the full experience.

I growled quietly in displeasure even as I purred with contentment, "Promise," I asked with a sexy smile and caught my lower lip between my teeth.

Eric growled again and his eyes darkened to a smoldering blue. He grabbed me by the shoulders and helped me back into a sitting position. Then he attacked my mouth with teeth, lips and tongue.

It was a long time before I came up for air again.

"I promise, Sookie. And I haven't forgotten the promise I gave you regarding the talk of what is happening between us. We need to talk about it before we actually move forward."

I gulped and nodded. I would finally get some answers. But I was a little apprehensive as well because I had a feeling it would be a big step for us - forward or backwards, I didn't know yet. I knew I already loved him but was I ready to hear about my future with or without him? Nervousness began to flutter in my stomach and I took a big breath to calm my nerves. "Alright. When?"

"We will fly to New Orleans on Thursday: The Queen is providing her private plane for us. The flight will take about an hour so; that will give us some time to 'clear the air' so to speak. I need to prepare you for what to expect at court anyway. And you need some formal wear. How about you go shopping with Pam tomorrow night? She will know what is appropriate."

Shopping with Pam? Oh my, that should be interesting. But I nodded in agreement, "Okay, We can do that."

Eric smiled when I tried to suppress a yawn. He had worn me out. "You should go home, Sookie, it's quite late. Bubba will accompany you on your drive."

I didn't want to leave him but I knew he was right. I was bone tired and I had gotten up quite early that morning. Eric walked me outside to my car where Bubba was waiting already. After another toe curling kiss goodbye, Bubba and I made our way back to Bon Temps.

On the way Bubba explained to me that he and Eric had discussed some precautions the night before to make my property and therefore me safer. He had some ideas about traps around the perimeter to prevent Bill from trespassing.

I was shocked at first at what he had come up with but Cookie had pricked her ears in excitement and it didn't take long for my devious side to come out and play as well. Over the next 45 minutes we brainstormed ideas for the best traps against vampires and other Supes as well.

It was actually going to be fun to annoy Bill as much as he had been annoying me. I laughed almost all the way home and fell into bed exhausted but happy.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

_My legs were around Eric's waist, and my heels were digging into his gorgeous backside as he laved my nipples with his tongue, purring contentedly all the while._

_I was moaning and arching into him, trying to get closer. He kept putting me off though, building my heat higher and higher until I felt like I would spontaneously combust._

_He started slowly kissing his way down my body; stopping here and there to pay attention to different spots. When he reached the apex of my heat he skipped right over it and continued down my inner thighs, my knees, my calves, even my feet. _

_I wanted to scream out my frustration at him taking his time but all I could do was moan and pant._

_When he started licking his way back up my body I was on sensual overload. I didn't think I could take any more but Eric proved me wrong over and over again as he licked and kissed every inch of my body._

_When he finally, __**finally**__, started sucking on my clit my body started vibrating in time to his purrs. My hands were tangled in his hair and I was bucking, trying to get closer and closer to his mouth. The combination of what he was doing and the sounds he was making aroused me so much I tugged at his strands so hard that it had to have hurt, I think I pulled so hard that a few strands even came off in my hands. But the only thing he did was double his efforts._

_My walls started fluttering as he inserted a finger into my most private place and I … _heard a banging on the door?

What the…?

My eyes flew open to see storm clouds flying past my window and rain blowing in. I got up and quickly closed the window when I heard the banging again.

Grumbling profanities to myself I put on my robe and stormed down the hallway. I wanted to go back to bed and finish my … dream? Was it a dream or had it really happened? It had felt so real!

I was so angry I could have spit. One minute! One fucking minute longer and I probably would have gotten the best orgasm of my life! But nooooo…

I threw open the door, "WHAT," I thundered. The man standing there startled and jumped back in shock. He looked at me wide eyed while he stood there looking like a fat drowned rat. I must have looked quite the sight: seething mad, wild eyes and probably sex hair - like a dervish - but his thoughts were anything but awed by me. They were more along the lines of everything else I'd been hearing recently: '_whore, bitch, too good for her'_ - you get the drift.

"I … I … I've b … b … been innnnnnnstructed to ddddddddeliver these to you Ms. Stackhouse," he managed to stutter out.

I looked at the stack of boxes and took them from him, "Thanx," I said as I slammed the door shut in his dough boy face.

Gran would have taken the switch to my legs for being so rude, after she made me pick my own from the willow out by the pond. I could feel guilty about it later: I wanted to get back to that dream and relieve the pain still lingering between my legs.

On the other hand, she had probably seen it.

Damn!

"I'm sorry Gran," I said out loud. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Unfortunately that was only half of it, the other half would be apologizing to the delivery man himself the next time I saw him. I wasn't happy about it but she had always taught me that most people didn't have the advantage of seeing another person's real intentions so whether he had meant to be rude or not that didn't give me a reason to be rude right back.

I sighed, sat the boxes on the table in the kitchen and tried to go back to bed but once my feet had hit the floor the first time I was wide awake; there was no going back.

Instead of enjoying the rest of my dream I was forced to deal with life instead which did not make me happy in the least. I would at least liked to have gotten an orgasm out of the deal but nooooooooooo, Mr. Too-early-in-the-freaking-morning had to wake me up at the worst possible moment.

I looked at the clock, good lord! It was only 7:30 in the freaking morning! Did he not realize some people actually enjoy sleeping? Especially when they have a yummy Viking to spend their dreams with?

I sighed and crawled out of bed again. Angry at the world right then or more specifically at Bobby Burnham - I'd gotten his name from his thoughts as well -, I went about the business of taking a shower and hopefully finding a little manual relief from the effects of my interrupted dream. So I rummaged through the drawers of the nightstand until I found what I was looking for.

As I turned towards the bathroom door I stopped dead in my tracks and hot and cold shivers went down my spine. My face turned red as a tomato, "Gran, please do not follow me into the bathroom!" I didn't know if she was really there at the moment but I didn't want Gran's ghost to watch what I was about to do in the shower. Yeah, she had always told me that what a person did in the sanctity of their own domain was nobody's business but their own but that didn't mean I wanted anybody else, ghost or not, to know about it!

Anger and grouchiness was forgotten and I felt much better when I emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, in more ways than one if you get my drift. I went to the kitchen to start the coffee maker and open the boxes that were the cause of my too early morning wake up call.

As I suspected one of them was the laptop. As Eric had said it looked to be state of the art. I plugged it in and opened the other box while waiting for it to cycle through its start-up.

I gasped and a few tears came to my eyes; I dropped the contents of the other box when I saw what was in it.

Eric, that sneaky bastard, had taken one of Gran's embroidery samplers and had it framed for me.

It had an old woman sitting in a rocking chair by the fire, a book in her lap, and three children sitting at her feet and it said 'Home Is Where the Hearth Is': I made sure to hang it up right where he would be able to see it when I opened the door for him the next time. There was also a short note underneath it: _I thought this seemed appropriate. I'm sure your Gran would have loved to see this framed. Your ~E~_

After I took a couple of minutes to calm down and wipe the tears from my face, and acknowledge the fact she would have loved it, I opened the third and final box, which was really quite heavy despite its size: It had 200 business cards with my name and cell number on them right below the NorCroft business name and the branch I was in charge of.

Once I cleaned up the mess from the boxes, and tucked a few of the business cards into my purse, I called Tara; If I didn't get to sleep in neither did she!

"Hmmm, Sook?" she said sleepily.

I giggled, "Yeah. Rise 'n shine, sleepy head."

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" It's amazing how someone's mind can go from dead sleep to something wrong in no time flat when they're woken up.

"Everything's fine, or at least it was once I took Bobby the Bunny out for a spin." I grinned; Tara had given me that damn vibrator as a gag gift one Christmas but it had gotten a lot of mileage in the last couple of years and I'm sure the Energizer bunny was quite pleased with him as well since he could certainly keep up.

Tara giggled, "And just why was Bobby out for a spin so early in the morning?"

I was feeling wicked that morning, way more wicked than usual, "Why don't you come over for breakfast and I'll tell you? It has something to do with last night."

I groaned as there was another knock at the door, "I gotta go Tara, someone's at the door again. It's way too early for this shit and I haven't even had my coffee yet."

She giggled again, "Yeah, yeah. It's probably Lala wanting all the hot gossip. Promise me you'll wait until I get there to give the gory, or maybe it's juicy, details?"

It's even more amazing how some people can wake right up without the aid of a cup of caffeine to start their day, "You got it 'fille'. I'll see you soon."

I hung up the phone and sure enough it was Lafayette at the door, "Hmm hmmm," he said as soon as I opened the door, "you is looking fiiiiiiiiine this mo'nin'!"

I giggled again. Damn, was it all because I'd had two orgasms in less than 12 hours? "I am fine Lala. What can I do for you so early in the day?"

He came in and closed the door as I went back to the kitchen and he explained that he wanted me to dish on 'tall, blond and deadly' since he claimed he'd be more than willing to take Eric's 'fine dead ass' off my hands if I didn't hit it good and hard.

Thank god I wasn't drinking my coffee at that moment so I didn't get it down the wrong pipe. Instead I had to clean the coffee I spilled out of my cup from the kitchen table since it had been on its way to my mouth.

Speaking of coffee, somebody had to fix breakfast and apparently that day it was going to be me.

An hour later they were both fed and suitably horror stricken by what Arlene had done; impressed by my sexploits with Eric the night before and especially with my dream before it was so rudely interrupted and what I'd done after the interruption.

I had never been so open with them or anybody else about my sexuality before, not that there had been anything to talk about. I didn't even know what had come over me although I suspected Cookie had her hand in it as well. She was so laid back and not shy about it in the least. If I was honest with myself, it was nice not to stutter and stammer and blush like a champion whenever sex or anything remotely related to it was mentioned!

Once breakfast was done, the mess cleaned up and my two best friends on their merry way again I decided to get to the business of subscribing to all those newspapers, which was a damn lot of them!

During one of the lulls the night before Eric had had me set up an email account for all business pertaining to Area 5 and vampires in general so by the time I was done subscribing, a couple of hours later, the inbox was full of confirmation requests which took much less time to deal with.

Thinking back to our little 'chat' with Arlene the night before I realized that observing the FOtS more closely would be a good idea as well. I searched the internet and sure enough there was an official website for them and you could even subscribe to an email newsletter. I didn't think it would be such a good idea to use my real name so I created a fake email address under the name of 'Marigold Maldano'.

By the time I was finished it was lunchtime and I was starving. I still had to deal with giving my notice to Sam and we hadn't had that 'talk' yet so I decided to do that over lunch if I could. I picked up the phone and dialed, "Merlotte's, Sam speaking."

"Hey Sam, it's Sookie. You got time to have that talk?"

"Yeah, sure. It'll be good to get out of here for a while." He actually sounded happy. Maybe insurance footed the bill for the repairs?

"Crawdad's in thirty then?" I asked as I looked through my closet for whatever would be coolest given the weather forecast for the day which was rainy with a side of hot and humid.

"That's fine chére. I'll see you then."

"See ya Sam."

I grabbed one of my sundresses from the closet and got dressed real quick, did a quick tour of the house to make sure everything was locked up tight and was on my way out the door ten minutes after I hung up with Sam. Unfortunately I had to go back inside and grab my cell phone since I had forgotten it on the kitchen counter where it had been charging.

It was a short drive to Crawdad's Diner.

Crawdad's is one of the few Mom and Pop places left and they weren't even a Mom and Pop anymore. After Mom died about 50 years ago Pop sold it with the stipulation that the name never be changed and the new owners agreed as long as he included his recipe for pecan pie. He agreed and that's how it's gone since then, and this is the third incarnation of Crawdad's.

I got there a few minutes early so went ahead and got a table and ordered my iced tea.

The place was busier than usual, I guess it was because Merlotte's was closed, but it was still easy to spot Sam when he walked in; his wiry halo of strawberry blond hair all sticking every which way kind of made it easy to spot him.

"Hey chére, you doing okay? You're certainly looking better than the last time I saw you," he greeted me as he sat down across the table from me.

I shrugged, "Doing okay. Better than I was any way. What about you? Did insurance cover the repairs?"

Sam looked a little grim, "Partially. It seems the plumbing hadn't been updated since the building was put up and it should have been so they covered the flooring, clean up and Terry's wages but they didn't pay for the new plumbing."

My eyes went wide, "That still cost a pretty penny then. Ouch. Is Merlotte's going to be okay?"

"Yeah, it'll be tight for a while but we'll be fine.

"Any way, the reason I wanted to talk to you…" The waitress interrupted us then to take our orders. Once she was gone he took a deep breath and then continued in a low tone, "I'm a shifter. I can change into just about any warm blooded animal as long as I've imprinted on it before I shift."

"Imprinted?" I asked curiously. Eric had told me a bit about what happened when a shifter or Were turned into an animal but hadn't gone into detail. And I was fascinated by how it all worked.

"I have to either see the real thing or a picture of it before I shift. If I don't I turn into a collie dog as my default shift."

"So it's been you scaring the 'coons away from the garbage bin?" I snickered as I remembered seeing the dog around a lot.

Sam grinned back, "Usually, yeah, although there is a stray collie that helps with that more often than not." He went on to explain that it's only the first born from any couple that will be able to shift, that he can control when he does it **except** at the full moon when he has to and a few other things that Eric hadn't told me. "So, how did you figure it out chére?"

"Your brain signature's always been different but since I've seen it with others as well I just figured it was a human quirk. When I went to Eric about the murders…"

He interrupted me to ask, "Eric who?"

"Eric Northman," I answered honestly but didn't quite expect his reaction to that name.

"You went to a bloodsucker for information about me?!" Now he was angry.

Damn, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to and Sam obviously took offence assuming I'd gone behind his back.

I sighed and cringed; the talk wasn't going how I wanted it to go, "No Sam. I went to Fangtasia to see if I could find out who killed Maudette and Dawn so I could clear Jason's tom cattin' ass. Shifters were just a by-product of one of our conversations about the murders."

He looked slightly repentant, "I'm sorry Sookie. I guess what they say about assuming is true, huh," he said slightly sheepishly.

The waitress brought our food right then so we dug right in and were quiet while we ate our meal and didn't say much else until the coffee was served after, "I wanted to talk to you about something else too Sam." Boy was I nervous! I had never had to actually quit a job where I actually enjoyed it and liked the boss before.

"Yeah? What's that?" he asked as he put a piece of pie à la mode in his mouth.

Now or never, right? "Well, uh, Imgivingmytwoweeksnotice." I said quickly, running the words together because I was so nervous.

Sam looked at me in confusion, "Could you maybe slow that down a little Sook? It sounded like you said that you're giving your two weeks notice."

I took a deep breath to steady myself, "That is what I said; I'm giving my two weeks notice Sam, I've got another job."

He looked at me incredulously, "You're quitting?" He looked absolutely crestfallen.

Damn, now I felt really bad. But I sucked it up and nodded, "Yeah Sam, I am. I got the offer the night before Gran died but with everything going on we hadn't had a chance to finalize anything until last night."

He looked at me suspiciously, "Please, tell me you're not going to work for the vampires Sookie. Please, tell me you got a better offer somewhere other than with the vamps."

"I would but that would be a lie Sam because I am going to work for a vampire."

His eyes narrowed and he shook his head, "They'll only use you Sookie. You're too good-hearted, they'll break you then toss you away like yesterday's trash."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sam," I huffed, "I'm not as stupid as the bigots seem to think. Yes, I may be blond and blue eyed but I negotiated a good and fair contract."

"Vampires and fair contract are an oxymoron Sookie, they don't belong in the same sentence!"

I could feel my eyes tearing up in disappointment. Why couldn't he be happy for me like Tara and Lala? Why couldn't he accept and even encourage me to do something new? Why couldn't he tell me that I was too good for this place and that I was worth my talents?

I was no longer the naive young woman who was too shy to look a person in the eye and answer a question at the same time; I could speak my mind now so that's exactly what I did, "I thought you, at least, would be happy for me Sam. You've been one of my best friends for five years now and I thought you of all people would understand that I need to get out of this shit hole town. Someone finally see's that I'm worth something. They see that I am more than just a blond waitress.

"Yes, it's a vampire and you know what? I'm so fucking happy about that! No human has ever seen the woman behind the blond hair and blue eyes. They've only ever seen the freak who sometimes knows what they're thinking!" My voice was shaky because I was fighting off tears of anger. I had talked myself into a rage again and I knew I needed to calm down or I would speak loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear.

Sam looked slightly sorry, "Chére, vampires are not known for their altruistic streak. They aren't kind and caring, they can't love or give you children and Northman's the worst of the lot as far as I've heard. He's a hard nosed asshole who shoots first and asks questions later; he doesn't take prisoners Sookie, he kills first and gets the details later."

Why is it that when I try to make a decision for myself, something which goes against societal norms, everybody and their uncle gets in my business and tries to tell me what to do?

"Sam," I said a little heatedly, "don't you think I know that not every vampire is as kind and good hearted as you and me?" Hell, my favorite neighbor was the best example of that, "Not all humans, or part humans, are either. I've encountered more than my fair share of those humans and a few of the vampires already but like you said, you've **heard** all those stories from other people about Eric Northman! But have you ever even met him? No, you haven't. You just took over other people's prejudices and you, of all people, should know better.

"I'm not going into this blindly Sam. I've done my research, I've asked questions and I've got a lawyer looking things over this weekend." When he heard about the lawyer his shoulders relaxed and he didn't look as angry.

"Which lawyer? Is he any good?"

I nodded, "The best. His name is Desmond Catal…i…" I sighed because I still couldn't get it right. "I call him Mr. C. He's a Supernatural lawyer and a demon."

Sam was gaping at me, "You mean Mr. Cataliades?"

I nodded, why was it everyone else could say his name and I couldn't?

"How did you manage to get him to agree to see you? I hear he's really busy; it can take months, sometimes even a year, to get an appointment."

"He uh …," how to explain it so that I didn't spill the beans about being part Fairy? "He's kind of like a friend of the family."

That explanation seemed to satisfy him and he nodded and sighed, "I guess you're not the same naive young woman who walked into my bar and was so nervous for the interview she could barely speak any more." Sam shrugged, "I've always known your time at the bar was limited Sookie. I'm sorry to see you go but I sure hope things pan out for ya.

"Please, just be careful? I'd hate to hear something happened to ya."

"I will Sam, I promise. Are we still good?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I wish you would stay but I understand needing to get away from home and do your own thing. We all go through it eventually.

"That's what landed me here in Bon Temps. I was fresh out of the military and Mom was hard on my ass to get out and get a job. I had my GI money and the bit Dad left in his will so I travelled a bit. When the wind blew me in this direction I knew I'd found my new home."

"Thanks Sam. I'm glad you understand." I sighed to myself in relief. I would have hated to lose him as a friend if he hadn't understood my reasons. I could understand his reluctance; from what I'd read between the lines he seemed to have had a bad experience with vampires so I forgave him his prejudice.

We chatted a little more while we finished our coffee but finally went our separate ways a few minutes later.

I stopped by the hardware store on the way home to look at the security stuff in order to get a general idea of what it was going to cost me to get a security system installed. The salesman told me though that if I was serious about a security system to go with a security company like ADT. They monitor the system 24/7 for everything, not just intruders, so if the smoke or carbon monoxide detectors go off they will call the house first to determine if it's just an accidentally tripped alarm, like burning the toast would set off the smoke detector, or if it's something more serious.

I thanked the man and went home to research the hell out of security firms.

* * *

><p>I didn't notice how late it was getting until there was a knock on the door and a particular void on the other side announced that it was Bill doing his nightly 'annoy Sookie hour'. Urgh! It seemed my little vacation from being pestered by him was over.<p>

I sighed, it would have been nice if he had had a little accident with a stake on his trip or he had decided that wherever the hell he'd been was much nicer than here and decided to stay there forever.

As soon as the first knock sounded I heard Bubba, "Mr. Compton, you ain't supposed to be here. The sheriff said if you don't stop pestering Miss Sookie you won't like the consequences," Bubba paraphrased but that's pretty much what Eric had said.

I could hear the condescension in Bill's voice, "I'm just making a neighborly call Bubba, no need to get in a snit or go running to Eric about it."

That raised my hackles; I may have only known Bubba for two days but I already felt like he was one of my best friends. He was delightful to talk to yet he didn't hang around and be annoying if I'd rather have the peace and quiet.

My hand was almost on the door handle; I was going to give Mr. Compton a piece of my mind whether he liked it or not when Bubba told me not to, "Don't open the door Miss Sookie. Call Mr. Eric instead and let him know that your stalker is making his presence known. Again."

I sighed, "Alright Bubba. Are you alright?"

I heard him shuffle around a little bit, "I'm fine Miss Sookie, now go call Mr. Eric." I could hear the smile in Bubba's voice as he surreptitiously told me he was clear of the danger zone: I pressed the button on the remote and was rewarded with screams as Bill's eyes were sprayed with a fine mist of silver particles.

Cookie and I may or may not have done a small victory dance at our success. I let out an evil chuckle. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. Maybe I should have felt remorse that I was hurting someone but honestly that wasn't going to happen when I recalled what he'd done and probably still wanted to do to me.

The smell of burned vampire flesh was anything but pleasant but it was still better than Bill's physical presence.

"Bubba?"

"Yeah Miss Sookie?"

"Would you please escort Mr. Compton to the boundary and tell Pam to come to the back door when she gets here? I don't want her walking through anything left of the spray."

I followed the two voids as I fixed myself a salad.

Pam arrived just after midnight with a full entourage of people with racks and racks and racks of clothing, shoes and accessories. I was flabbergasted. Didn't Eric say to **go** shopping with Pam? And what the hell did she want to do with all that stuff? Did she bring a complete clothing shop to me?

Her first words were not about shopping though, "I smell that you have your own vermin." I looked at her questioningly, "Bill Compton was here and it smells like he was silvered."

I nodded my head, "Yeah. He seems to be back from his trip and Bubba and I wanted to be prepared for him continuing to stalk me. I am about to the point where I'll stake him just on principle though."

Pam looked confused, "Why would you wish to stake him on the headmaster of the school?"

Once my fit of laughter was over I explained the difference between principle and principal. By the time I was done with the definitions Pam had a dangerous glint in her eye and her fangs had run down, "I can save you the trouble Sookie."

I shook my head, "I don't think Eric would appreciate that Pam. Besides Bubba and I have it under control."

She grinned, "I am his second," and put her hands on her hips.

"Yes, but he still makes the final decisions doesn't he? And you noticed he was silvered, right?" Pam nodded her head and grinned. "Well, Bubba and I have set some traps up on the property and Bill sort of got hit by one of them tonight."

She looked at me expectantly, one eyebrow raised in imitation of her Maker. I giggled a little before I explained, "Bubba set up a silver mist sprayer at both doors and I got him with the one at the front door tonight when he was being mean to Bubba."

"And I wasn't here! Fuck a zombie! Next time call me or at least catch in on camera!"

I let out a mean chuckle because I already had an image in my head of us sitting on the couch in front of the TV and watching '1000 ways to annoy Bill'. Oh, this was going to be so much fun!

Pam cackled like a maniac as I told her about my idea and I knew right then I had a sister-in-arms.

Several hours and I don't know how much money later Pam waltzed out looking quite pleased with herself and my spare bedroom closet and dresser were filled with 'must have couture' and my mind was on overload with all the vampire customs and how to act in front of a vampire queen she had instructed me on.

I fell into bed exhausted but much more prepared for my visit to New Orleans.

* * *

><p>Shortly after dark the next day I was sitting on the swing on the front porch waiting for the car that would take me to the airport; my brand new suitcase was standing next to the door.<p>

When Pam realized I didn't have anything to transport my clothes in other than an old duffel bag which had seen better days I thought she was going to have a stroke. She was ranting and raving on and on about how a woman should always be prepared or some bullshit. I just let her talk because as I learned that night I had absolutely no freaking idea about fashion, or 'couture' as she called it, and everything that went along with it and that included the season's 'must have' in anything; including, apparently, luggage. So I was not surprised when a delivery boy knocked on the door that morning and handed me a big package. As I learned during my shopping **experience**, for it certainly was not a trip to the mall, with Pam it was best to just nod my head and say 'yes dear' as she did her thing.

Taking into consideration that every single item she had shown me was some sort of high end fashion designer I shouldn't have been surprised when I opened the package and a very expensive set from Dior sparkled back at me.

I couldn't hold back the snort. What a waste of money! Apparently everyone but Pam knows that the better your luggage looks the more likely it is that it will not make it to your destination. If it does the odds are higher that you will be missing items since you can no longer lock your luggage since air port security rifles through all of it before it's allowed anywhere near a plane.

The memory couldn't stop the nervousness I felt when I thought about the upcoming hours and what could be waiting for me at the Queen's court.

Somehow I knew I could trust Eric's reassurances that she wouldn't expect more from me than I was ready to give, namely the contract, but my mind couldn't stop thinking about the worst things that could happen rather than the positive things. What if she broke her promise? What if she disregarded Eric's claim on me? What if…

'_Stop!_', Cookie shouted. I almost jumped out of my skin at her outburst. '_You're going to trust Eric's judgment! Stop overreacting!_'

Geez! What got into her? I do trust Eric's judgment. It's just…

'_No! You're going to stop this shit right now! Even Fintan said that you can trust her. So shut up and enjoy the mini vacation_', she groused and then huffed.

Flabbergasted I sat there on the swing and racked my brain, trying to figure out how it could happen that I had an entire argument with myself and still ended up on the losing side. Did she get up on the wrong side of the lair that morning?

All of a sudden many things happened at the same time. A void appeared near the cemetery and at the same time Bubba sat next to me on the porch swing.

I turned to the famous vampire next to me, "Good evening Bubba. How are you this fine evening?"

"I'm very good, Miss Sookie, thank you. And how are you?"

"Oh, you know Bubba, I would be perfect if some errant delivery boy vampire," as Eric so perfectly described it, "wasn't constantly sniffing around my property and polluting the air with his stalking and looking like he's eternally constipated. Maybe he was on his way to the outhouse when his Maker took him?" I spoke loudly on purpose so Mr. Nosey Compton would be sure to hear my thoughts on what he was doing.

Bubba giggled, I guess at the imagery of Bill on his way to the bathroom, "Oh Miss Sookie. You may be right. Perhaps the next time we catch him we should give him an enema to find out."

I laughed long and loud at **that **image but seriously didn't Bill have a life, a job, **something** to do that didn't include trying to horn his way into my life? Anyway, shouldn't our little trap from the night before have turned him off annoying me? Apparently not!

I had hoped Bubba would get my sarcasm; he'd seemed to: Maybe his brain wasn't as damaged as everyone believed.

He turned his head to my stalker who was skulking around the house and was headed right at us, or he would have been skulking if he weren't missing the lower half of his right leg.

I grinned when I saw him hobbling towards us; it seemed he had found one of the bear traps Bubba had set up. Bill was scowling when he stopped at the foot of the steps that lead up to the porch.

I just looked at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something but he seemed to have taken a lesson from Marcel Marceau and remained silent. "You know, Mr. Compton," I loaded his name with as much sarcasm as I could, "stalking people is a Federal offence."

Then I pointed at his missing limb, "What happened to your leg," I asked with a small giggle.

He looked hurt at my words but when he heard my giggle his hurt expression turned to anger, "Sookeh…" Geez why can't I just have a stake at hand when I need one? Every time he opened his fucking mouth I wanted to kill him.

'There's one in the table next to the front door, you know,' Cookie said dryly.

_Ooohhh, rrrrriiigghhtt!_, I thought gleefully.

Bill tried again since he realized he didn't have my attention, "Sookeh, why was there a bear trap in your woods?"

I giggled again since seeing him standing there slightly lopsided was hilarious, "Because **Mr. Compton**," I was hoping if I used his full name often enough he would get the hint that we were not on a first name basis, "I was hoping that you would finally get it through your thick skull that I want absolutely nothing to do with you. We are neighbors, nothing more and if I had my choice we wouldn't even be that."

Bill looked irate at that, "But Sookeh…"

I had finally had enough of my neighbor's neighborly visit, "But nothing Mr. Compton. I have told you before; my name is SookIE not SookEH. It rhymes with Cookie."

He looked angrier at my words, "It is the Southron Accent Sookeh, it doesn't allow for the 'e' sound."

I snorted. Loudly. "Bull shit Mr. Compton. I have lived in the south all my life and you are the only one who doesn't seem to be able to say my name correctly." He opened his mouth, no doubt to spout some other crap but I was tired of it already, "Since I don't recall giving you permission to use my first name how about you call me Miss Stackhouse instead, there's no 'e' sound in either of those words.

"Now leave me alone and be gone already!" I waved my hand in the general direction of his place.

_Hmm, I wish I had a Djinni in a bottle so I could wish him away, like in Aladdin._

Something in me seemed to react to what I had said and thought. My body charged with energy until it hummed like a thousand bees buzzing and suddenly a strong wind appeared out of nowhere, picked him up and took him from my presence and set him down at the furthest edge of my property; at least that's what the breeze that was left by his abrupt departure told me.

Huh? What? Did I just…?

Cookie actually snickered! _'You're learning Sookie, you're learning.'_

I sat there totally flabbergasted and couldn't comprehend the fact that I had done that all on my own.

Did the wind really speak to me or am I imagining things? _Was that the power Fintan had told me about in the letter? Holy shit! This could be awesome!_

Cookie and Bubba were both suddenly on alert as a limousine bumped its way along my pitted driveway.

Bubba relaxed slightly when the driver got out; she was dressed the most colorfully of anyone I had ever seen and not one single thing matched! Pam would have had a fit if she were to see the young girl who stood before us.

She bowed, _bowed_, to me, "MsStackhouse?"

I nodded dumbly. Her strange appearance seemed to have taken the power of speech from me.

When she smiled I shuddered; all of her teeth looked to be razor sharp.

"Evenin' Ms. Diantha. You're here to pick up Miss Sookie," Bubba asked.

When she nodded he stood up, picked up my suitcase and garment bag and went around to the trunk with Diantha and put everything in while I picked up my purse and made sure the door was locked. By the time I turned back around Bubba was standing there with his elbow crooked, waiting to escort me to the car.

When Bubba handed me into the car I squeaked, "Eric!?" and lunged for him with another hug! "Thank you for all the beautiful clothes and everything else! I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to afford the garment bag, let alone everything else so thank you."

His return hugs were getting better, less stiff, each time he hugged me back so I was hopeful that it wouldn't be long before he would offer a hug on his own instead of waiting for me to molest him with one.

"Everything is to your satisfaction then?" He asked with a smile.

I nodded, "None of it had to be high end though. I would have been just as happy with something from Macy's or Sears.

"She even managed to have my size in bras and panties from high end stores!"

"I'm glad you're happy then. Now, please give Bubba your key so he can let the people from the security company in so they can install your system while we're gone."

WHAT!? "NO! I can't let you do that! I was going to do my research and call one of them when we got back!"

"I know, Pam told me when she returned last night. She also told me that she had called the best which you, my dear Sookie, just happen to be part owner of, and they will be here in about an hour to put it in."

My mouth dropped open because that seriously stumped me. I was part owner of a security company? Huh, maybe I should learn about 'NorCroft' and everything that had to do with it?

"Eric! You could have at least talked to me about it first!"

"I didn't set it up Sookie. You can berate Pam for this the next time you see her if you like but I dare you to try to tell her no or to return something."

_Did he just __**dare**__ me? Ohhhhh, the fun I could have with that!_

I snickered, "Eric, you may not be able to tell her no but I most certainly can and will in the future! I have something she has most likely forgotten about."

He raised an eyebrow at me and I grinned, "I can get in the last word."

Eric looked at me sceptically, "I highly doubt that Ms. Stackhouse. She, like her maker before her, doesn't take no for an answer."

"I didn't say she would take no for an answer or that she would like it but I do have an ace up my sleeve," my grin was getting wider and wider. What he seemed to have forgotten is that while Pam may not take no for an answer I'm a Stackhouse, stubborn is in my DNA!

"Don't worry though," I said as I handed over my key, "I'll happily take the security system and pay back the cost from my inheritance when I get it."

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again with a click. A secretive smile formed on his lips, "Very well."

Hmm, that was way too easy! I had a feeling he had something up his sleeve as well. That should make things more interesting at least. Two stubborn people butting heads. Oh, I was looking forward to it!

The ride to the private air strip between Bon Temps and Shreveport was uneventful, even if it was the round about way to get there.

I had never flown before and hadn't planned on starting any time soon but since it was a choice between an hour long flight or five hours with Eric the Indy Car driver behind the wheel it didn't take much to convince myself that flying was way better. Cookie didn't necessarily agree though since she was all for having Eric all to ourselves for five uninterrupted hours.

Truthfully, I was too but I didn't think my nerves could take five hours of the Eric Express; not if I was going to meet the queen that night any way since I was positive I would find out the velocity of sick if we went that way.

Once the plane started moving my hands gripped the armrests so hard my knuckles were white. My stomach felt like it was trying to escape in any way possible.

I wanted to go home! Riding with Eric behind the wheel was much, much more preferable to flying! Hands down, no contest.

Cookie snorted, _'Told you so!' _she groused.

Even with Eric trying to distract me it didn't help, I still wanted my feet back on the ground! I sat in my seat, had my eyes squeezed shut and tried not to hyperventilate. Though I didn't think I was too successful in distracting myself or succumbing to Eric's distractions; the only thoughts in my head were, '_We're going to crash! I need to get out of here_!'

Cookie was huffing and puffing and hawing at my antics. She didn't seem impressed with my panic and couldn't understand why I didn't feel safe in that little tin can of a plane and especially with Eric at my side.

"Sookie!"

I ignored him. I needed to concentrate on not acting like a deranged crazy person.

Someone pried my hand from the armrest and took it in his own. I latched onto it immediately and squeezed … and squeezed … and squeezed.

I could feel sparks of electricity starting to dance over my skin but it didn't hurt me. It only tickled a little and seemed to give me a little bit more strength.

"Sookie," Eric said a little more forcefully this time. "Open your eyes!"

I shook my head. I didn't want to see. I didn't want to see us falling out of the sky.

"Open your eyes! Look at me!" A surge went through my body like someone had ordered my brain to comply. My eyes flew open and I looked directly into Eric's face.

My eyes were immediately transfixed on his. The ocean was in turmoil, big waves were furrowing the water as a thunderstorm rolled in and bolts of lightning were lighting up the darkening sky again.

I was fascinated once more and I could have gotten lost in it but I was brought back to the immediate present as Eric laid his other hand on my cheek. Huh? Wasn't I just a bunch of little Sookie pieces spread in a thousand bits on the ground after the plane crashed just a few seconds ago?

I calmed almost instantly when he touched me but still my thoughts wouldn't stop.

"What's wrong, Sookie?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

About then the plane finally levelled out and my stomach stopped heaving. Huh.

"I … uh … I," '_Just say it Sookie, he's not going to make fun of you'. _I sighed at Cookie but finally finished my sentence, "I've never flown before and I can't say that I'm enjoying the experience." I looked down at my lap, embarrassed by my admission.

He smiled at me and gently squeezed my hand, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about Sookie; Aerophobia is quite common."

I sighed, even Eric thought I was stupid, "It's not the flight itself, apparently, since my stomach has settled. I just didn't like the way it made me feel while we were taking off."

"What do you think happened when I discovered I could fly?"

My head whipped up and my mouth dropped open in astonishment, "You can fly?"

Eric nodded, "Yes, I can. When I first discovered it I must have looked quite the sight until I had it under control. I smashed into trees, dropped out of the sky when I lost my concentration and sailed from left to right like a ship in distress. My maker called me a drunken bumblebee. I was awful until I got enough practice in that I could still stay airborne even if I was distracted and believe me, sh … er … he made sure I was distracted as much as possible." He laughed at the memory and I could finally smile. I wished I had seen that.

"Your maker," I asked curiously.

"The vampire who made me, like I did Pam. His name is Godric and he's about 2000 years old."

My eyes bugged out of my head. 2000 years? I couldn't even imagine being on earth that long. I'd thought Eric was old but this Godric was twice that age. All the things he must have seen, all the history, all the big events, wars, cultures that developed and disappeared again.

Holy shit!

Eric must have felt my disbelief because he chuckled, "He's one of the oldest vampires left on this earth. There are only a few left who are older than him."

My head was swimming from that revelation. I couldn't comprehend how old vampires could get. They must be a walking, talking encyclopedia.

Speaking of history books, I remembered that I still needed to find a test subject for my master's dissertation.

"There's something I wanted to ask you: I need to write my master's thesis soon and I don't have a test subject yet so to speak. Would you be willing for me to pick your brain about your history? What you experienced and how you lived in that time?"

A secretive smile formed on his lips, "I was waiting for you to ask me that. I would be honored to be your guinea pig. I actually have written a book or rather a series of books of my life, one book each century.

"In fact I just completed the book for the twentieth century. Everything I have lived and experienced is in there. I have thought about publishing it but it isn't the right time for that yet."

My mouth dropped open for the second time in I don't know how many minutes, "Seriously? Will you allow me to read them?" Oh my god! My heart was hammering in my chest in excitement.

Historians would kill for such an opportunity: To read the live experiences of an actual real and still living Viking was a once in a lifetime chance.

I wasn't doing it for the sensation though but to read the words he had written about his life would make me feel so much closer to him. I wanted to know what he had been through, I wanted to know which countries he had visited, who he had met, in which wars he had fought, who he had loved and what had led him to become the man he was at that very moment. Everything!

Eric got very serious all of a sudden. The smile on his lips disappeared and the features around his eyes got a solemn edge to them.

Uh oh, he was going to snub me, I was sure of it. He apparently didn't deem me worthy of sharing his life after all. He didn't want to be with me and he was going to tell me just that.

_SLAP! _

_'__Stop it you fool! You're getting paranoid again! Hear him out,'_ Cookie snarled. My head was still ringing from the mental slap she gave me. She was getting stronger every day.

Eric turned to me and took my hand, "Sookie, of course I want you to. That's why I wrote it: for someone worthy to read about my life." _Oh, thank god,_ I thought but he wasn't done yet, "I know I promised that I would explain about what is going on with us. The truth is, I can't tell you much just yet. I can only explain things to you and let you read the books when you've made a decision regarding us."

Okay, I was confused. What did he mean 'I have to make a decision'? I searched his face for some kind of clue but all I found and felt through the bond was uncertainty about how to explain whatever it was and a vulnerability about … something. How I would react to whatever he had to say maybe? "I don't understand," I said honestly.

He exhaled as if he'd been holding a breath he didn't need, "How do you feel about me, Sookie?"

I was taken aback. I didn't think he would just come out and ask me that.

I blushed scarlet and it was suddenly me who had difficulty explaining what I wanted him to know. How do you tell a person that you've fallen in love with him? How do you tell a person that you want to be with him if he hasn't given you any indication that he cared about you more than a general concern for your safety. Yes, he showed his affection by organizing help for me when I needed to plan Gran's funeral and sending me flowers to brighten my day … okay and everything else he did for me. Maybe it was his way of saying that he probably didn't love me - yet - but cared about me deeply, cared enough to continue getting to know me.

I nervously licked my lips and contemplated what to say. I never saw myself as a coward but at that very moment I was scared shitless about what his reaction to my words might be.

Then I had an idea. Maybe instead of telling him, I should let him feel. So instead of using words I did what I did the night Renée attacked me; I gathered up every bit of love and affection I felt for him and pushed it at him as hard as I could.

For a tiny second nothing happened. Then his eyes widened in astonishment before he closed them. He shuddered and then sighed as if he had never felt something like that before.

I was sitting at the edge of my seat, worrying about his reaction and what it might mean. A dozen different scenarios ran through my head. Him recoiling in disgust, him telling me that he didn't feel the same, him laughing at me…

**_SMACK! _**

Holy fucking shit! That hurt!

**_'_**_Stop second guessing yourself and him! Give the poor man a chance to explain before you start jumping to conclusions. You are the most infuriating woman sometimes, Sookie. You don't give someone a chance to say something before you start imagining the worst thing they could possibly do or say.'_ Cookie sighed loudly, '_You KNOW how he feels about you so just stop with the doubts.'_

_'__Did you just slap me?' _I was angry and confused and having Cookie berate me wasn't helping.

_'__I did and I'll happily do it again,'_ she growled. _'You need to learn to not let your own emotions run away with you, they will only get you into trouble if you don't learn to control them and that starts with giving people a chance to explain themselves before you jump off the cliff, worrying about what their reaction is going to be._

_'__Give them the time they need to process everything, just like you need time to do the same, then listen to what they have to say, then consider their words, and only then should you react. Not BEFORE they've even begun to process what you've said or done.'_

I sighed. I loved my gran tremendously but really, did she have to be a part of EVERY conversation I had?

Cookie was right and I knew it but…

_'__No buts, Sookie. You can't reach your own potential if you continue on like you have been.'_

Huh? Reach my own potential? _'What did you mean by that?'_ But of course she remained silent, pretending she didn't hear my question.

After a minute or two Eric opened his eyes again and what I saw in them made me hold my breath.

The blue in his eyes was swirling in different shades, from ice blue to midnight sky. But the most fascinating thing was the lightning bolts flashing in them like a firework on the 4th of July.

Before I could react or say anything though, he grabbed me with both hands and hoisted me up out of my seat and onto his lap. Our lips crashed together as if he wanted to eat me whole. I didn't even know what had happened or how to react; I could only let it happen and that's what I did. I wrapped my arms around his neck and opened myself up to him.

"Finally," he whispered over and over again between nibbling on my lips and neck, "I've waited for a long time for this very moment." Relief; I felt so much relief coming from him, it threatened to overwhelm me. "Say it, Sookie! Tell me!"

Why did it feel like Cookie was smirking? _'See? Just because they are taking the time to process doesn't mean the response is going to be negative,' _and she started cackling. Why didn't she just say 'I told you so' and be done with it?

I ignored her because I wanted to focus on Eric. For a second I didn't know what he meant but when I did I threw my reluctance out the window and laid everything on the table, "I love you, Eric. I fell in love with you the moment I realized what you did for me after my gran died. I don't care that you are a vampire Sheriff or that you are older than dirt," I smirked at that, "I love everything about you. I love that you have so many different sides to you, the bad ass vampire, the mischievous little boy that I know is still inside you, the considerate man that is thoughtful enough to anticipate my needs, the uncertain man who asks his child for help and the vulnerable man who is insecure about what I feel about him. All of these sides make you who you are and who I love, Eric! I know you have many other facets to you and I want to get to know them all, if you'll let me."

Eric finally gave me this beautiful smile that made my heart flutter like the wings of a hummingbird and I reveled in the feelings coming through the bond.

I could feel that he was in turmoil as well though. He seemed to have difficulty digesting my revelation.

He took my hand in his and held it against his chest, "Sookie, you don't know how much it means to me to hear that from you. I've waited for you for a long time," I didn't know what to make of that comment but at the same time I felt a 'but' coming my way and my heart sank again, "but I need to examine my own feelings before I can be sure of them.

"I want to be with you, Sookie, very much so. I care about you deeply but I don't know if it's quite love yet. I haven't felt anything close to what I feel from you coming through the bond for over 1000 years, since my human children were born, except maybe for my maker and child but even that is very different. I need to be sure of my true feelings for you first before I say anything," he explained and looked at me, pleading for me to understand.

I exhaled in relief: I didn't even know that I'd held my breath. I could work with his uncertainty and I felt sad that he'd walked this earth for a thousand years without knowing what love really felt like.

So I smiled reassuringly and nodded. Then I snuggled against his chest and just reveled in our togetherness. Eric wrapped his arms around me and moved slightly down in his seat to give us more room.

After a few minutes though I interrupted the silence because something was still bugging me, "Was that the decision you wanted me to make, to be with you?"

Surprisingly, he answered with a, "No, it was only the first step." He sighed, "The decision you need to make is whether or not you want to complete the bond with me."

I pulled away from his body to look at him, "You mean if I want to make it permanent?"

"Yes, only when you make the decision of your own free will to bond with me permanently am I allowed to tell you the whole truth. What I can tell you though is that I'm not who I am pretending to be. And it is not a coincidence that we met. If you decide to complete the bond of your own free will and out of love, it will shake the foundations of the world."

I exhaled loudly while digesting his words. I gulped when the magnitude of what he was implying really hit me.

Holy hell! Was he saying that it was our destiny to meet? How could that be? I had never heard of him or seen him before that first time at Fangtasia. Sure, there was an instant connection between us but that could just be two people taking an instant liking to each other. How could he be so sure it was me and not someone else?

And what could be so secretive that he couldn't tell me the whole truth? Was he an alien that escaped from Area 51? Was he the one who shot John F. Kennedy? Was he Odin himself and has to prevent Ragnarök?

I didn't know what to say or do. On one hand I knew that I loved him and wanted to be with him. But was it enough for me to make such a commitment? From what I understood a blood bond was something akin to marriage, probably more than that if my suspicions are right and I shouldn't be able to feel him in the bond just yet. On the other hand we had only known each other … my god was it only two weeks? I didn't think I was ready for that step just yet.

Eric seemed to feel my indecision and that I felt overwhelmed, so he tried to soothe me through the bond.

"You don't need to decide now, Sookie. And I don't want you to. Entering a blood bond is not something to take lightly. You need to remember that it is permanent, forever, and only broken by the death of one of us. I want you to really think it through before you come to a decision."

I nodded, thankful to have time to think about it. "What do you feel about it, Eric? Do **you** want to do it?"

Surprise and pleasure showed on his features that I even considered his feelings. Well what can I say, a blood bond is about two people, not just one.

After contemplating my question for a second he answered, "Yes, I want it with you very much. Even if I don't understand my feelings for you yet, I know that they will come and I have the advantage that I already know what's going on. I wanted it the moment I heard about it centuries ago; I'm just waiting for you. That's not the only reason I want to be with you though. I've never met someone like you. The very moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were something special. I don't mean your telepathy or you being part Fairy but who you are, Sookie Stackhouse. When our eyes met for the first time it felt like I was struck by lightning." He said the last part with a secretive smile. His words though were doing something to me. Cookie felt all mushy inside and she was sighing with a dreamy look on her face.

Eric had said he didn't know if he loved me just yet but what he'd said just a few seconds ago was as close to a declaration of love as I ever heard.

I tried not to turn into a lovesick teenager though and thought back to the most important topic. Worrying my lip as I thought out loud, "What would the bond do between us apart from being permanent?" I know he'd explained it to me once already but I wanted to know the details.

"Well a general blood bond between a vampire and human would make the two parties feel each other's emotions. They could influence each other through it; for example when one is angry, the other one could try to calm him down. Furthermore they would both know where the other's location is, much like a GPS system; the physical and mental well being is stronger when they are together as well and it's rumored that a bonded pair can't be without the other's presence for long or they will feel physically ill.

"But I don't think the general rules apply for us. Our bond seems very different and I've noticed that you can already feel me, can't you?" He looked at me curiously. Though I had the feeling he already knew my answer, he wanted confirmation regardless.

So I indulged him and nodded, "Yes, I can feel you very strongly. I discovered it when I touched the bond and sent you my feelings right before Renée attacked me."

Eric sat up straighter at what I'd said and gave me his complete attention.

"What you sent me that night almost knocked me on my ass, it was so strong. How did you do that and what do you mean you touched the bond?"

Okay, I had the feeling something abnormal was happening. Maybe even something extraordinary, so I tried to explain, "Um … while we exchanged blood for the first time I could feel your blood spreading through my body and something in me reacting to it. Then something seemed to bundle in the back of my mind and I remembered this the night Renée attacked while I thought of a way to contact you. I closed my eyes and concentrated on that specific point. Then I could see a bright, pulsing ball or a star and a thread coming out of it and disappearing into nothing. When I touch it, it feels warm like a living being. And when I did it that night I could feel an echo coming back to me. I think I felt your surprise?" I looked at him in question.

Eric seemed to ponder that for a moment while thinking back to that night. "I felt a resonance, a vibration in my mind like someone had struck a chord or played a tune on a guitar. I was very surprised when I felt that. Then a moment later this overwhelming sense of dread went through me and I knew it was you calling me. I took flight immediately. The whole time I could feel your pain and how scared you were but anger as well. I sent you strength through the bond but I'm not sure how successful I was."

I sucked in my breath as realization struck me, "I did feel it. Eric, something is happening with me. There is a presence in me. It is me and not me at the same time. It feels like we belong together but are separated from each other for some reason. The night Renée attacked she felt weak and angry, like she had just woken up from a long sleep, but when you sent me strength she felt stronger as well and that in turn gave me the strength to fight him." I got very excited all of a sudden. Some puzzle pieces finally fell into place.

"That wasn't the only time I've felt it either. Every time we exchange blood she seems to get stronger as well.

"In fact, it was that separate being who told me what the Portal in the box was and how to open the letters and I've even had arguments with her on occasion."

Eric was stunned as he looked at me while he seemed deep in thought, "I've never heard of something like that happening before. But it sounds to me like your Fae side and the human side of you haven't merged for some reason. Maybe the demon blood from your sponsor has something to do with it. Fae and Dae may be a related species but they are as different genetically and magically as they can get. I've never even heard of a Fairy/Demon hybrid existing, though I'm not an expert. We should discuss this with Desmond later: I'm sure he can shed some light on this."

"But how is it possible then that Cookie is in me? That she exists separately but we share the same body?" I directed the question to her as well, but again she wasn't really forthcoming with an answer. It was frustrating!

Eric cocked an eyebrow and his lips twitched in amusement, "Cookie?"

I huffed in fake annoyance, "I call her Cookie because she's … well she's rather flirty when you're around. You have no idea what she's doing and wants to do to you when she hears just your voice," I rolled my eyes.

_'__As if you don't want to do the exact same things to him'_, Cookie huffed.

Oh, now she's talking and … did she just stick out her tongue at me?

The smirk on his lips seemed to get wider as he preened like a peacock while she … well, Cookie turned her back to me and put her butt high in the air and wiggled it as if she was trying to entice him to do naughty things to her.

I snorted. Those two would be perfect for each other!

"I'm looking forward to meeting her," Eric said in a flirty tone.

This time I really huffed in annoyance. Maybe I should leave those two alone and get out of the way.

_Oh wait, I can't!_

_'__Are you jealous?'_ Cookie asked, sounding like she was thoroughly enjoying the bi-play.

_'__YES!'_ I screamed in my mind.

I heard a rumble in the chest beneath my hands before Eric erupted into laughter, "You should see the faces you make when you have a conversation with her. And I can feel your mood swings through the bond. I think I can distinguish between you two now as well."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he laughing at me?

But then I grinned devilishly as I thought of something, "You already have met her, a couple of times."

His eyebrows quirked up, "Oh?"

I nodded, "Mmm hmm. I'll give you a hint." I giggled. This was fun, innocent but fun.

"You won't tell me outright," he asked with his lower lip sticking out. Was he pouting? Oh, that looked too cute. But I tried very hard not to get distracted by that.

So I shook my head, "Nope, you'll have to figure it out on your own."

I could feel the amusement through the bond, so I knew Eric was enjoying our little playful banter as much as I was. Eric grinned, "I love a good puzzle. Hint away."

I put my finger to my chin for a moment, as if deep in thought, "I don't flirt."

He looked at me incredulously, "That's a hint?"

I nodded my head, so did Cookie. "It is. Is the hint too hard?" I asked impishly. It was always fun to poke him a bit.

But then he shocked me by answering, "You may not flirt but Cookie doesn't second guess herself or others before letting her audience take things in and formulate an answer."

My mouth gaped open. How did he know that? Did he know me so well already or could he hear our conversations?

I could absolutely see Cookie giving Eric a high five for agreeing with her and saying almost exactly what she had been telling me; the smirk on both their faces was not helping!

"Arrgg! The both of you are driving me crazy!"

Suddenly I was on the floor and writhing with laughter as Eric tickled me senseless, "You may not flirt but you find Cookie's ideas just as arousing as I do and one of these days, I promise you, you will have the full Eric Northman experience. Once that happens there will be no going back, you will be mine; you will be spoiled for others."

I looked at him as he hovered over me, straddling my hips and just stared for a moment, "When's that going to finally happen then?"

He looked serious again all of a sudden and placed a hand on either side of my head, "When you've finally made your decision," he said solemnly.

What? No hope of full on, mind blowing sex until then?! I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he blackmailing me? "You sound very sure that I'll say yes to the bond. What if I say no?"

Eric had the nerve to actually grin! "Ultimately, it's your decision but I think we both know that you'll agree eventually." Yeah, I knew. I might not be ready to at that very moment but I would be given a little more time. "And don't you think that when it finally happens our coupling will be so much more mind blowing and special?"

I was floored and really touched that he would say something like that and actually mean it. And to be fair, I agreed with him. So I nodded and gave him a real smile.

I was rewarded with a smile right back while he helped me up from the floor. We retook our seats and buckled our seatbelts when the sign appeared overhead.

Eric reached out to take my hand but I growled and playfully slapped it away, "Don't even think about it buddy! If I can't have what I want then neither can you!"

Eric let out an amused laugh but before he could do or say anything else my stomach lurched and we started to drop out of the sky.

I screamed and clutched his hand as if my life depended on it.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you so much for your lovely reviews! Keep them coming, guys! :D

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><p><em><strong><span>WARNING:<span>** Part of this chapter deals with a very delicate topic. It's nothing graphic and we don't go into detail either but for those of you who don't want to read it, we marked the most important section so you can skip it if you want. Although there are still hints throughout the chapter, so you are warned._

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><p><span>Chapter 14:<span>

As we stepped off the plane into the heat of the Louisiana night I had the feeling I was walking into a brick oven; after the air conditioning of the airplane it felt hotter and more humid than ever.

I looked around for someone waving a sign with our names on it but no luck. Instead Diantha, who'd traveled with us, went down the stairs and straight to another limousine and popped the trunk so Eric could put our bags in.

Once we were settled in the back we were off like a shot making me scream as she accelerated hard and fast. Fortunately she slowed down once we reached the main street since I wanted to see the sights; not that there was much to see that time of night but it was still nice that I wasn't in the car with another Indy driver wannabe. It didn't take us long to reach our destination, only ten minutes or so but it took twice as long to get through all the security as it did to drive over.

When we finally made it to the front entrance the car doors were opened by a very good looking Arabian vampire. Eric got out first then gave me his hand to help me step out of the car. Up close the vampire looked even more beautiful. He was almost as tall as Eric and had a powerful build. His chiseled face was framed with a red and black turban and black mustache and goatee; he must have been turned in his mid twenties, though his deep brown-green eyes told me it had been a long time ago. When I touched his void with my mind it felt heavy but not nearly as heavy as Eric's and it felt full of memories. If I had to guess I would say he was about 500 years old but I couldn't tell you how I knew that.

The vampire bowed to us before he addressed Eric in a very familiar manner, "Eric, long time no see," as he smiled and then he did something that surprised me to no end. He stretched out his arm and they greeted each other by clasping each others forearms. I thought vampires didn't touch at all whether it was a human - unless it was for feeding - or each other?

Eric turned and introduced me, "Sookie, meet Rasul, he's the queen's Chief of security. Rasul, this is Sookie Stackhouse, my future lover and soon to be bonded." He gave me a mischievous smirk as he said that.

I arched an eyebrow and snorted, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Mister My-ego-is-bigger-than-Texas!"

Rasul chuckled, "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Stackhouse. I'm looking forward to seeing the old man being taken down a few notches."

I couldn't help but laugh as Eric scowled at the reference to his age. My curiosity was piqued though, "Likewise Rasul. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know each other?" If they were greeting each other like that there must be a reason for it.

He and Eric shared a secretive look and Eric gave him a barely there nod, before Rasul turned back to me and explained, "Eric is my vampire brother. We share the same maker."

My eyes widened at the revelation and my curiosity turned into excitement at the prospect of meeting someone else from his family. I could feel amusement coming through the bond and my thoughts turned wicked, "If you have a few minutes while we're here, maybe you could tell me about the shenanigans he pulled when he was younger? I'd love to hear about them," I said, then leaned towards him and stage whispered, "I need leverage!"

Rasul laughed heartily at that. Damn, that man … vampire … was gorgeous. If I wasn't in love with Eric already I could totally see myself crushing over his brother like a damn teenager mooning over one of the Jonas Brothers.

Eric gave him a dark stare and Rasul must have seen that he was about to overstep his bounds if he so much as opened his mouth. But he wasn't fazed by it so he just gave me a wink and told me that he was several centuries younger than Eric so didn't have much to tell - which I didn't believe for even one second - as he led us up the stairs to the entrance.

I leaned to Eric while we were walking up the steps and murmured to him, "Spoilsport!"

He just gave me an evil smirk.

Bastard!

I barely had time to admire the decor of the entrance hall as we were ushered up the winding staircase on the left side of the room and down a corridor to a set of doors which were next to each other.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. The queen will expect you in 30 minutes so you have time to freshen up," Rasul said before he disappeared.

I had a beautifully appointed suite! A suite! Not just a bedroom but a bedroom, bathroom with the largest bathtub I had ever seen with a separate shower, a sitting room and a whole wall of glass which overlooked Canal Street!

And the bed! It was huge! Ten of me could have fit on that thing and still had room left over!

I shook my head in bewilderment and went to rummage through my garment bag and suitcase for one of the new dresses and related accessories Pam had forced on me.

Fifteen minutes later I was refreshed, changed and ready to go. I was sitting on the bed while nervously twiddling my thumbs when there was a knock on the door. I was confused for a second because the knock didn't come from the bedroom door I'd gone through earlier but from a connecting door I hadn't even noticed until then. When I opened it Eric was standing in front of me in a dashing gray suit and black button down shirt. My heart started beating faster at the sight of him. Damn that man looked good in a suit. I couldn't help but ogle him.

Eric smirked at me when he saw my appreciation, "See something you like," he purred, sounding for all the world like a big contented cat!

I was worrying my lip and could only manage a nod and an, "Uh huh."

He closed the gap between us in one big step and sucked the lip I was biting right into his mouth.

Wrapping his arms around me he pulled me against him and I moaned as I felt his hard body against mine from top to bottom. Holy hell that man was hard all over, not just his … gracious plenty.

Cookie was purring happily and tried to encourage me to jump him; she was all but physically pushing me.

No, not happening, not there in the queen's palace and with so many sharp ears. Not to mention I wasn't about to reward Eric with such a thing when he all but told me there would be no sex until we were bonded - even if I'd grudgingly agreed with him on the plane. I needed to content myself with feeling him this way. And wasn't anticipation the sweetest torture? Wouldn't that make our first time together that much more enjoyable, just as he had said?

Cookie didn't seem to care about that one bit. She was huffing and puffing and rolling her eyes at me.

Well, too bad! I was in charge, not her!

Coming back to the present our tongues were dueling as if they were on a battlefield but they seemed to be having too much fun dancing around each other for one of them to attempt the final strike.

Unfortunately I was the one who had to admit defeat eventually because I desperately needed to breathe. Panting heavily I opened my eyes and looked at him through a lust filled haze. I wasn't the only one affected either; Eric's pupils were dilated and his fangs had snapped down as he looked at me like a hungry lion - though not hungry for food, I'm sure.

I gulped because my resistance to him was waning fast and I knew that if I wasn't careful my last bit of resolve would go right out the window, promise or not.

So I tried to remember where we were: In the palace of the Queen of Louisiana, for Christ's sake! Hell no! Not gonna happen there.

I doused my lust with an imaginary pitcher of ice cold water and said, "The queen's expecting us." I didn't even know how long we had been standing there like that.

Eric let out a frustrated growl but nodded, "You're right. We shouldn't keep her waiting," but then he smirked and gave me a smoldering look which would have made my panties go poof into thin air if it were at all possible, "but this isn't over!"

Wowza! A shiver of anticipation went through me before I locked my spine and scraped together the last bits of resolve - again, "Hmpf," I said, "Judging by what happened on the plane I'm not getting my hopes up any then."

Eric looked at me darkly, "Does that mean you don't even want to fool around? Just a little bit?" He leaned into me and murmured, "If I recall correctly, you enjoyed being thrown onto the desk and taken advantage of very much!"

I was getting wet with arousal at the reminder but I gave him a very toothy grin, "That was before the plane ride. I'm not caving; if you can hold back and refuse me then I can return the favor."

I could feel that he was just as frustrated as I was and that it wouldn't take much for us to end up in bed, _or on the floor, the wall, in the shower … _Cookie was most definitely thinking along the same lines as Eric and I were. Unfortunately for her I had more self control than she did and since the body we were using belonged to me, we were going to go by my rules, not hers!

As we made our way down the stairs he whispered in my ear, "You look beautiful," in a very suggestive way. Waves of lust and other promises, spoken and implied, came through the bond and I had to grit my teeth not to moan out loud.

I tried to put on a brave face and said, "Nope, still won't sway me!"

His rumbling laughter echoed through the hall and I was smiling the whole way to the throne room.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later I was finally standing face to face with Hadley. Six years of wondering and worrying that she'd died in an alley somewhere and was buried in a Potter's Field of Jane Does was finally at an end. While I was glad she wasn't a Jane Doe I couldn't help but feel angry; she'd had Gran searching high and low for her and while I had been able to tell her that Hadley was still alive, Gran died without being able to see her, or at least speak with her, one last time.<p>

After we'd been let into the throne room by two look-alike giants who had been standing guard on either side of the double doors, the queen surprised me as she welcomed me much more warmly than I had thought she would.

I don't know what I had expected the Queen of Louisiana to look like but definitely not the woman standing in front of me. She was petite, maybe 5'2 or 5'3 with a classic hourglass figure à la Marilyn Monroe which most women would kill to have. She looked very young; she had probably been in her mid to late teens when she was turned. Flaming red hair framed her flawless and very pale face but the most striking thing about this woman was her eyes; they were such a brilliant shade of green they reminded me of the emerald gemstone.

After the introductions were over she revealed that she had a surprise for me and led me to a side room where Hadley had been sitting on an antique sofa; she rose and curtsied to the queen, even giving her a big smile and thanking her for escorting me herself but once the door closed behind Eric and the queen Hadley slipped right back into character.

That's where we were at the moment: We were standing in the middle of the room appraising and criticizing each other in our heads. I had to admit though that she looked good. Her skin had a healthy glow and her body had filled out much better than the last time I'd seen her.

A minute or two went by with neither of us saying a word. Hadley had never learned to be patient though and was the first to crack: Her lips twisted into a sugary sweet smile which I didn't buy for a second, "Hello Sookie! I'm happy to see you."

Shivers went up and down my spine. Even her voice was fake and you could hear a hint of smugness in it as well.

I still said nothing, just looked at her while my swirling emotions slowly turned to anger. How dare she? How dare she stand there after so many years, looking all innocent and smug as if nothing had happened and was proud of herself for snagging a rich girlfriend while Gran had been worried sick about her well being.

Hadley quickly showed her impatience with my silence because her gaze turned wickedly evil, "I'm talking to you, you bitch! I'm the queen's favorite! You better greet and respect me the way I deserve!"

_Oh please!_ I snorted and raised an eyebrow à la Eric. Not even five minutes into our reunion and she was trying to oppress me like she'd always done.

She didn't like my reaction to that at all and suddenly she closed the distance between us and lunged at me.

Everything happened very fast then.

Even though I hadn't seen that one coming my reflexes seemed to be sharp as a big cat's. I moved to the side and out of the way and at the same time tripped her up. Her legs went flying forward and out from under her and she landed flat on her back with a loud thud.

Ouch! That had to have hurt.

Both of us were too stunned by what had happened; she was on her back looking at the ceiling with wide, surprised eyes while I was looking down at her open mouthed, not really comprehending what I'd just done.

Less than a second later the door burst open and Eric and the queen rushed in with their fangs down, ready for an attack. Taking in the scene before them though, they relaxed again.

I would have never thought such a petite woman as the queen would be capable of speaking with so much authority as she demanded, "What happened here?"

I could barely suppress a cringe but I was quick to explain: I didn't want to get on her bad side, "I'm very sorry, your Majesty, but Hadley attacked me. I just defended myself."

That got Hadley's attention pretty quick and she scrambled to her feet again, "I did not! She's my favorite cousin. I just wanted to give her a hug for old times' sake." Her sickeningly sweet voice was back and I wanted to puke.

Favorite cousin my ass! Her favorite 'punching bag' maybe but certainly not cousin.

"If I'm your favorite cousin why did you call me a bitch and brag about being the queen's favorite and demand the 'respect you deserve': Respect is earned, not demanded." I had never been one to be a tattle-tale but the queen needed to hear the truth about the real Hadley.

The queen's head whipped around and pinned Hadley with a fierce stare, "Hadley?" She looked surprised at Hadley's actions.

Listening to Hadley's thoughts was just like it always had been; none too bright and painful for me. Apparently she had been able to fool the queen; her thoughts were anything but complimentary.

My cousin went all mushy and tried to look innocent. Her lower lip stuck out like she was pouting and started wobbling like she was going to cry, "I did not. She's lying!" Gosh, even her voice sounded like a petulant child right then. Even after so many years she hadn't grown up a bit.

I could feel Eric's hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down since I'm sure he could feel my growing anger.

Finally, rather than embarrass myself with an outburst, I backed away and put Eric between the two of us.

Cookie didn't care for my move at all. She had bared her teeth and was growling low in her throat because she didn't want to understand that I didn't want to make a scene in front of the most important vampire in the state, especially when I'd just met her: I was the better human in the room.

I could feel tears pricking my eyes and I didn't want anyone to see me like that, much less the queen. It was mostly angry tears that wanted to come to the surface as I remembered every mean thing Hadley had done to me over the years; all the little jabs and comments she'd made, all the actions she had taken to make me feel like a freak while she and her friends laughed in my face and every single time she had shoved and pushed me around just so she could be the center of attention.

What's that saying? Misery loves company? Yeah, that was Hadley. She was never happy unless she was making someone else miserable.

Hadley held true to form: Instead of giving me time to calm down and gain control of myself she came around Eric and reached out to turn me around to face her but Eric was much faster and put himself between us again. He planted himself strong and tall directly in front of her, "You have been with the queen for four years and you still haven't learned not to touch what doesn't belong to you," he said in a low threatening tone.

Eric was becoming angry himself! **Very** angry! And it threatened to consume me as well since it came through the bond completely unfiltered.

_'__Of course I know that, moron. But she does belong to me; always has and always will, she's family', _Hadley thought as she gave the queen a grin_._

THAT had me out from behind Eric in a flash, all thoughts of calming down gone as quickly as her thoughts had gone through her mind. Nobody insulted my Eric even if it was just in their heads.

Cookie nodded enthusiastically, I think she even swiped her claws through the air a couple of times to indicate a cat fight.

And … **my** Eric? Where did that come from?

'_Oh, he's ours. There's no doubt about __**that**__,'_ she snarled and flexed her razor sharp claws.

I didn't let her distract me from my target though. I needed to get something off my chest, "Eric is **not** a moron! He's been good to me, much better than my blood family in fact! As far as I'm concerned he's been more a family member in the last month than you have been - **ever**!

"As for me being **your** family," I yelled, "as far as I'm concerned only Jason is left.

"Because of your selfishness and your all demanding need for attention, you're the reason Gran's dead. You're the reason I was nearly killed and you're," I poked a finger into her chest, "the reason I'm even here at all!"

_'__Snort, Gran, the crazy old bat wouldn't help me when I needed it,'_ Hadley thought darkly.

Rage consumed me at that, so much rage. My eyes narrowed to slits as I started to take a step towards Hadley with my hands balled into fists and already half way up.

Cookie was heartily endorsing what I had planned for her but I felt Eric's arms go around my waist and pull me to him. Cookie was roaring and scratching at the ground, wanting to be let out so badly.

I held onto Eric's arms like they were my lifeline. The contact helped me calm down a bit after a moment so I was able to form words again, "If you want to say something, say it out loud and not just in your head. And Gran was not a crazy old bat! She loved you Hadley! She was heartbroken when she thought one of her grandbabies was dead and beyond her help. She wanted to help you so bad but what did you do? You stole the money she wanted to give you for the rehab center, even though she couldn't really afford to do so, and just disappeared.

"We've spent the last six years thinking you were dead in a gutter somewhere and you couldn't be bothered to spend 37 cents on a damn stamp or spend nothing and call collect when you were on you own? Eric said you've been at the palace for four years now: I bet there are a lot of cellphones around, even plain old landlines, yet you didn't have the decency to lift a finger and ask to borrow one just once?"

The queen looked at Hadley in disappointment, "Hadley, you've told me all this time that your family wanted nothing to do with you, that even though you called every Sunday they let you go to the answering machine or hung up on you."

My eyes went wide when I heard that she had been calling after all even as her cheeks turned red in embarrassment. She hadn't called at all as far as I knew.

I was just about to shake my head and deny the queen's statement when Hadley screamed at me, "Shut up, you bitch!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back and I struggled mightily against Eric. I'd had enough of her meanness over the years and I had finally reached my limit but Eric wasn't letting go.

The rage, which I'd finally started calming down from, spiked so hard and so fast that I literally saw red. Sparks started to dance again where Eric was touching my naked arms: Touching Eric seemed to make whatever was happening with me stronger.

As I gripped his arms it felt like something was sucking all the air out of the room. Hadley fell to her knees, grasping at her chest and gasping for air that wasn't there. Cookie was cheering me on, telling me that she was getting what was coming to her in spades.

I spoke up again, "No, I won't keep quiet any longer, Hadley! Almost all my life you've discriminated against me, made fun of me and gone out of your way to make sure my life was miserable just so you could be the center of attention. But no more! You're game of lying and deceiving people is over!"

But Hadley was stronger than I thought or my new found power wasn't strong enough just yet. Either way, she got up from her knees and came at me again. It was so fast that I didn't even have time to react this time. She didn't even care that Eric was standing behind me as she slapped me so hard my head jerked to the side.

Shock went through me at her audacity and it broke my concentration. Suddenly there was air in the room again as it whooshed in from wherever it had gone and then I heard a roar that shook the walls around us and made my ears ring; it took me a second to realize it was Eric, "You **dare** touch what is mine?! You were warned Hadley. I have had enough of your disrespect!"

Hadley laughed once she had gotten air back into her lungs. Wasn't she scared of the angry lion behind me? Didn't she have any respect? "I'm not afraid of you," she said tauntingly. "You can't do anything to me: I'm with Sophie-Anne and she's your queen!" She looked absolutely thrilled with the status quo although only she was happy with the way she was acting.

"Hadley!" The queen had taken a seat on the antique couch earlier to let us get it all out. I was very surprised that she had been so patient up until then. She did seem to have reached her limit though as she finally spoke up, "You will respect MY Sheriff even if you don't respect your cousin!

"I must say, I'm disappointed in you. If I had known you were capable of such despicable behaviour while in the presence of guests I would have banned you to your room, reunion or not. You shame me!"

Surprisingly Sophie-Anne did nothing more than reprimand Hadley even though she had much more than that coming to her. Eric wasn't having any of that though, he'd had enough of Hadley's mouth, "Sophie-Anne, if you don't do something about her I will and you know it."

Sophie-Anne looked down at the floor in deference, "Yes Eric, do with her as you will, just please, I ask that you leave her alive."

Huh? Why was Eric telling the queen anything? Shouldn't it be the other way around, just like Hadley said? And why was she acting like he was her parent and looking guilty?

Well, I guess the guilt could be on behalf of Hadley but still…

"And we'll be…," he stopped suddenly, like he was about to say something he shouldn't and changed his mind. "We'll discuss things in private later."

What was there to discuss? Hadley had been disrespectful to an elder and deserved to be punished, simple.

Sophie-Anne kept her head down as she nodded to let Eric know she'd heard him.

Hadley's mouth was open like she was going to say something when her mind suddenly went blank and she sank to her knees again.

'_Hmm, she looks good down there_,' Cookie purred and then cackled evilly; I had to agree since I was sure she had spent more time on her knees than on her feet during her life.

I looked over my shoulder at Eric and sure enough he had her in his gaze, "Hadley, you will remain where you are, how you are and you will remain silent unless it is to answer a direct question. I will decide on your punishment later."

She nodded mutely and her mind remained blissfully quiet for a few moments but then it came back in full force as he released her from his glamour.

Her mind told me that she was trying to get up, not liking her submissive position in front of the three of us, but she couldn't move a muscle other than those required for breathing and blinking. When she tried to voice her displeasure her mind exploded in a cacophony of curse words that would have put a sailor to shame. It would have had her gathering a willow switch so Gran could stripe her legs for such language.

I couldn't help the snicker that escaped my careful control though. When she realized that I was listening in on her again, her thoughts turned sugary sweet, _'Sookie, please, I'm sorry. Please, get him to let me up Sookie, please.'_

I snorted in disgust which earned me a curious looked from both Eric and the queen, "Hadley, you're about as sorry for what you've said and done as a rattler is for biting somebody; so no I'm not going to ask Eric to release you from his glamour but I am going to take advantage of your silence.

"You **do **know that if you had given Gran any indication at all that you were alive she would have been on the first plane down here or I would have driven her myself just so she could have the peace of mind of knowing that her middle grandchild was alive and happy, right?" She nodded and opened her mouth to answer but I just kept right on talking, not giving her the chance to voice her displeasure.

"You were in Gran's prayers every single night of the last six years, Hadley. She loved you just as much as she loved me or Jason, probably more because she knew you needed help. She would have done anything for you!

"We learned too late that you are still alive; I told her while she was on her deathbed that I had finally found you. She was happier than I had seen her in years.

"If Gran had lived she would have insisted on coming down here to see you just so she could see with her own eyes that you really were okay. I know she wanted you home for your Momma's funeral but we didn't have any way to get in touch with you so we could tell you."

Her eyes went wide and her eyes started shimmering with tears, _'Momma's dead?'_

I nodded, "Uterine cancer about a year after you left. You would have known that if you had cared about your family at all. But you didn't, did you?"

She struggled against the gag order but was unsuccessful so she finally resorted to talking to me with her mind. Ignoring the last part as she said, _'I suppose Little Miss Perfect was there for her,'_ her mind yelled at me.

I didn't understand her anger any better then than I ever had when we were growing up. I guess my confusion showed on my face because she tried to clarify for me. Hadley smiled, it was all teeth and the look in her eyes was murderous,'_You were always Little Miss Perfect, Miss Goody Two Shoes. Everybody loved Sookie. Everybody doted on Sookie. Everybody tried to protect Little Miss Perfect from the world but when Hadley had a problem she had to handle it alone!' _she thought mockingly. Even her thoughts sounded like a child who was being reprimanded for jumping on the bed or playing near the river.

Rather than continue the farce I dug into her brain and was horrified at what I saw there; the skeletons in our closet just got another member, "Why didn't you say something Hadley? That's why they were looking out for me; I told Gran. Gran and Aunt Linda were protecting me from him and people like him," I whispered.

She shook her head and the look on her face confused me even more than I already was, "You don't understand Little Miss Perfect," she sneered and taunted. Apparently I had finally asked a question rather than making a statement in the form of a question I didn't want answered. "I was his favorite. He came to me every time until **you** came along, then when my tits started coming in he wouldn't even look at me any more! It was always Sookie this and Sookie that, never Hadley any more!"

My mind went blank until I suddenly found myself in the bathroom on my knees and bent over the toilet bowl. Thank god because I had no recollection of how or when I got there or even how long I had been praying to the porcelain gods.

I heaved and cried for a long time until there was a knock on the door, "Sookie?" Eric's concerned voice said from the other side, "I have some things here for you."

I startled and looked up and around me. It wasn't a bathroom, it was a powder room; a plain old utilitarian powder room! Who would have thought that in a place the size of the queen's palace they'd have just a plain, simple powder room with a toilet, sink and mirror!

I started to laugh then. Crazy, maniacal, cathartic laughter!

Eric threw open the door then and took the one step needed to reach me, dropping whatever was in his hands as he enveloped me in his strong arms, "Sookie?" He sounded … scared?

I relaxed into his embrace for a long moment before I looked up at him with tears still covering my cheeks and dripping off my chin and soaking his shirt again.

"Are you okay Sookie? What's going on?"

I shook my head, "I'm not really alright but I will be. I just figured out what's going on with Hadley."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow and waited for me to finish my thoughts but I shook my head again, "It has to do with family history and skeletons in the closet, Eric. I'm not sure I'm ready to reveal my demons just yet."

_'__Sooooooooookkkkkkkkkiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee', _Cookie was sing-songing at me. _'You can tell our story and then they will help us plot our revenge'. _She let out an evil chuckle right then that made me feel then, more than ever, that she was a part of me. Deep down I had wanted to deal with that particular demon for a long time but Gran didn't want to turn him in and she had raised me to always turn the other cheek.

With everything that had happened to me lately; from the attack by Renée to how I felt when I was in Eric's arms to the information Fintan and Gran left for me I was beginning to think that not everything I had been taught growing up was right: It was alright to be angry, it was good to let people know you were angry and I was beginning to think that revenge was a fine idea.

I could see just how it would play out in my head too, unfortunately a certain vampire had other ideas, "Sookie?" That seemed to be his favorite question.

I sighed, "Sorry, I got caught up in thoughts of revenge." I stepped back from him a little bit when I heard a quiet growl and looked up at him and almost laughed at the pleased look plastered on his face, "Look Eric, this is my particular demon and I want to take care of it myself. I'll gladly take any advice or help you care to offer but I want to do it for myself," I said with conviction.

His fangs ran down, "Oh really?" He sounded almost ecstatic at the mere thought of revenge.

I nodded, "Yep, really. Now, what were you carrying when you came in here?"

He almost looked ashamed, "The queen dropped off some things she thought you might require." He bent down and picked up a new, still in the package toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb and brush and a change of clothing.

I raised an eyebrow at him and asked skeptically, "The queen dropped these things off herself?"

He nodded, "She did. She also said to tell you to take your time."

I smiled and took the toothbrush and paste from him. That little act alone made me feel almost back to normal. Brushing my hair and washing my face sealed the deal. "Thank you Eric, I feel much better now." I grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze after cleaning up the little bit of a mess I'd made, "Can you give me a minute to take care of some other business in here please? Since I'm in here I might as well."

He smiled and squeezed my hand and closed the door behind him.

As we were walking back to the queen's personal chambers - I guessed for more privacy - I told him that he was finally going to hear why a certain name had irritated me so much the night after we met: It would be best if the queen heard it as well since it apparently had something to do with Hadley too. Besides, I only wanted to tell that story once.

We were admitted to the queen's private chambers immediately by the two mountains she called children: I called them 'the Berts'.

Sigebert and Wybert were apparently brothers when they were human and the queen had turned them on the same night.

Unfortunately Eric must have come back and released Hadley from his glamour - for reasons completely beyond me - because she was agitated and had started stalking around the room.

_Sigh_, I had a feeling that it was going to be be a long night.

Hadley looked about as happy to see me as I was to see her but the queen smiled and asked, "Are you feeling better, Sookie?"

I nodded and smiled back, "I am Ma'am, thank you. I have a story to tell you and it's what caused me to be so upset."

She looked interested but Hadley lunged at me, "NO! You can't tell! You can't!"

The queen had Hadley around her middle and yanked her back and put a hand over her mouth, then she nodded at me to continue.

So I said, "I can and I will Hadley. It's time this foolishness stopped. I have a feeling you haven't told anyone what went on so long ago, even though you live with the guilt and the hatred. It's time to move on Hadley. Let it go and move on with your life."

Eric led me to one of the sofas in the room and I settled in. It was going to be a long night and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible since the subject matter was anything but comfortable for me.

Eric sat down and put his arm around my shoulders, making me feel like anything was possible; even the revenge I was starting to want very badly.

**- skip here -**

"Majesty, as you can probably tell this is not an easy story to tell. I wouldn't tell it at all but you need to know what's going through Hadley's mind; why she's acting the way she is and why I got so upset." She nodded for me to continue, "Our grandmother has a brother but he isn't right in the head; he likes little girls."

The queen looked horror stricken but she looked at both me and Hadley with the light of understanding in her eyes and Eric pulled me a little closer to him.

I don't know which one of us it was supposed to comfort because I could feel his anger rising in synch with my own. Regardless, having him so near gave me the strength to finish my story.

Nearly an hour later I finished my tale, "So you see, Hadley feels guilty for enjoying it, for wanting the attention he gave her. He was the only male role model she really had after Grandpa died since her father skipped out on my Aunt Linda shortly after she was born and my daddy died when we were young too. Her own father barely even sent her a birthday or Christmas card, let alone a gift or a phone call once in a while.

"Bartlett," I spat that name because it was leaving a foul taste in my mouth, "was her babysitter while Aunt Linda was at work since she was a single mom with no support coming in from Hadley's dad."

**- continue here -**

I don't think there was a dry eye in the room; well except maybe Eric's eyes were dry. It felt like he was plotting something and if I had to guess I'd say he was planning Bartlett's demise.

I looked at him sharply, "You're plotting his death, aren't you?"

He nodded, too angry to actually voice his answer, "I want my revenge Eric, and I want to do it myself." I had crossed my arms over my chest and my gaze turned steely once he admitted to his plotting.

"You will accept help and ideas though," he asked through gritted teeth and I could see his fangs had run down as well. I nodded, relaxing my posture a little bit, "Very well, but I will insist on being there with you."

I gave him a huge smile and an even bigger kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Eric. This means a lot to me."

The queen was holding Hadley tightly; she was crying and screaming that it was wrong to kill somebody, he didn't deserve it and some of the pictures running through her mind made me wish I was back in that powder room. I wanted to point out that according to her it was okay to throw her own cousin under the bus for her own selfish reasons but refrained. It's not like it would have helped anyway.

Fortunately there was a knock at the door before I could open my mouth and a stocky man with salt-and-pepper hair and bright blue eyes was admitted, "Ah, Desmond, just in time, as always," the queen said and smiled at the man.

The name rang a bell in my brain, "Desmond Cat … Catal … good grief, Mr. Desmond C.? A friend of Fintan Brigant's?" I asked quietly.

He smiled and nodded at me, "One and the same my dear. I was sorry to hear of Adele's passing."

I nodded, "Thank you."

The queen looked at me sharply, "You knew Fintan?" she asked.

I nodded, "Sort of, he died before I was old enough to remember much about him but he was my grandfather, Hadley's too."

"That explains the fairy blood," she exclaimed, looking excited at the revelation.

Then she continued, "You are both fairy princesses although if my guess is correct, and given your little display earlier, you have the fairy spark."

I looked at her in surprise but a little fear as well. What would she do with that revelation? Would she take advantage of that fact and change her mind? Would she try to bind me to her or worse?

My fear must have showed on my features because the queen smiled at me reassuringly, "Don't worry, Sookie. I don't have a death wish: I'm not planning on meeting the true death by picking a fight with the Brigant line or any other Fae Clan."

Mr. C. took a seat at the table and opened his briefcase while he said, "And not only the Fae, my dear Sophie-Anne!" He gave me a wink and I relaxed again, taking them at their words. "So you knew him then? My grandfather?"

Sophie-Anne nodded, "I did. In fact he helped me start up SABB, my parent company for all the businesses I have."

My face brightened as I smiled, "He still had shares when he died, right?"

The queen looked at me quizzically, "How did you learn about that?"

Hadley glared at me but Sophie-Anne put a stop to it, "Oh hush Hadley, not everything is about you; It's time you heard the truth about your heritage." She looked at me with curiosity, "How did you find out Sookie?"

I glanced up at Eric and he nodded. Fintan had said I could trust Sophie-Anne in his letter as well, so I would. "After Gran died I found a box of things he left for me; some letters and this," I took the chain holding his ring out from under my dress, "were in it along with a stock certificate for SABB and a couple of other companies."

Mr. C. got up and came towards me. He surprised me when he knelt before me and nodded at the ring as he held out his hand, "May I?" I nodded and slipped the chain over my head, placing it in his upturned palm.

He examined it closely before handing it back as he looked me right in the eye and smiled, "I had no idea his ring was given to you. The last time I saw him, I assume it was the night before he passed into the Summerlands, it was still on his finger."

I nodded, "His letter said he left it for me. I guess he wrote it the night before he was killed because he said something about going into battle the next day and he didn't expect to survive it."

"He didn't. He was killed by an iron blade coated with lemon juice in what is now called 'The Hundred Years War' since that is how long it has been going on."

My eyes widened, "A hundred years?"

All three of them nodded but it was Mr. C. who answered, "Yes. Your great-grandfather, Niall, is the ruling Prince of Faerie and his brother, Rogan, wants that title because he and his followers want the portals between Faerie and earth closed."

"What? Why?" For some strange reason that knowledge made me really angry. Cookie wasn't too happy to hear that the war was still going on either, _'I would have thought that the war would have been over by now',_ and she sighed discontentedly.

I frowned at what Cookie had said. How had she known there was a war?

"The Fae are a long lived people but they are slowly being poisoned by the toxins in our environment. These toxins have caused a drop in their birth rate and an increase in infant mortality since infants don't have the immunity yet to withstand even minute amounts of iron," Mr. C. explained to me.

My eyes widened at his story, "That's horrible! Is there anything I can do?"

Mr. C. smiled at me while the vampires in the room just shook their heads at me, "No dear girl, there isn't but your Fae heritage is why Fintan asked me to give you a referral to a Supernatural Doctor so you can be tested for any of their weaknesses.

"You will also need her if you are ever injured or become pregnant."

I just laughed and shook my head, "I don't plan on ever having children, thank you though."

Mr. C. looked at me sadly, "The telepathy? You didn't enjoy it," He asked as he got up and went back to his seat.

I shook my head emphatically, "It made my life a living hell! I didn't know anybody else like me; I didn't even really know about Supernaturals until vampires outed themselves. All I knew was that I was different.

"I didn't have anybody to teach me to control it or shut it off. I had no protection against it so I heard every little thing going through everybody's mind every minute of the day.

"My childhood was as far from normal as it's possible to get. Honestly, it's a miracle that I remained sane."

Mr. C.'s shoulders slumped a little as he sat back down and he looked a little upset by my words but really, what could I have done differently? It's not like I had anyone to teach me or like I could give it back. My telepathy was a part of me, it was one part of my whole whether I liked it or not.

Right then, at that moment, I was liking it a whole lot since it seemed like I would finally be able to do some good with my telepathy other than keep ahead of who wanted a refill or who didn't want ketchup with their fries.

I got up and went over to Mr. C. and placed my hand on his, "It's okay Mr. C. … I'm guessing you had someone to help you with your telepathy when you were growing up."

He looked at me, a little surprised by my words, "It's more like demons are born with the knowledge of how to control their telepathy. I thought that knowledge would pass down as well, along with your genetic Fae knowledge, but I was wrong."

"Genetic knowledge? What's that?" I asked. Something was niggling the back of my brain but I couldn't quite grasp it again: I sighed in frustration.

"Genetic knowledge is the knowledge you're born with; like autonomic reflexes. You know how to breathe even though you were never taught and demons know how to control their telepathy without anyone teaching them how to.

"All species: Fairies, humans, Weres, even vampires have this type of knowledge, it all depends on the species and what their capabilities are." My eyes went wide at his explanation. Is that what was happening with me? I was trying to access my genetic knowledge but that divide or separation was stopping me from getting to it?

_'__Yes Sookie, that is what's happening. Everything will be straightened out soon enough though, just be patient.' _Cookie cackled at the thought of me being patient.

I huffed, '_I can be patient,'_ I said as I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest.

_'__Uh huh, sure you can be, and I can have a body of my own and ravage our Viking!'_

I was brought out of my internal dialogue when Mr. C. spoke again, "I am sorry for causing you so much trouble Sookie, if I had been able to foresee such a thing I would have never done as Fintan asked me to."

I shook my head even before he finished his sentence, "There's nothing to be sorry for. It's water under the bridge. Besides, we're here for reasons other than getting to know my sponsor."

He brightened up at my words, not that he could ever possibly look down and out for long.

Some hours later we were finished with our business with the queen. All the contracts - for her and other Supernaturals - were drawn out and agreed upon. My contract with Eric and his new business idea were officially under way as well.

After that I finally had the time to think and formulate the most important and personal questions I had for Mr. C. but unfortunately it was getting too close to daybreak.

I turned to him and said, "Could you spare some time for me tomorrow, please? I really need to talk to you about some things."

"Of course my dear. How about we meet in the late afternoon? That will give us a few hours for your questions and Fintan's will before the vampires rise since I have some other business to discuss with them as well."

I agreed and we set a time and place for our meeting.

The doors had barely shut behind him when they were suddenly thrown open again and a youngish looking vampire with dark hair strode into the room looking and acting like he owned the place.

I felt his confidence and power radiating from him as he stopped just inside the door. Both the queen and Eric seemed surprised at his entrance before they stood up only to kneel before him, surprising me to no end.

"Master," they said in unison.


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews!

**Warning:** This chapter is going to be a bit different. There will be humiliation and degradation of a human involved - aka Hadley. We know it's not everyone's cup of tea and there are a lot of readers here on who report or pick on the writers just for the fun of it - and especially hide behind anonymity. It's disgusting and I think they are cowards, but that's just me. And I will not tolerate it!

So to avoid any grief, I'm posting only the **FIRST PART of this chapter here**. If anyone wants to read the full chapter, you will have to visit **my wordpress site**. You can find the link in my profile.

Enjoy and have a good weekend!

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><p><span>Chapter 15:<span>

My eyes almost bugged out of my head. That was Godric?

I had pictured someone totally different from the reality in front of me. In my mind he was tall, like Eric, and had a lot of the same mannerisms but the vampire before me was just slightly taller than me and was walking with a quiet grace that belied the air of authority and confidence he radiated.

He looked like he was in his middle teens when he was turned, much younger than would have been allowed in modern times. He had brown hair and eyes and you could see a well toned body with at least one tattoo; I could see the tip of one over the collar of his white linen shirt.

Then I looked back and forth between the three vampires and furrowed my brows. Something didn't sound … no, something didn't _feel _right. Eric's power felt all encompassing and his brain felt a lot heavier and more dense than theirs, like he had seen and done a lot more than they had.

It felt to me like Sophie-Anne was by far the youngest of the three but Eric's and Godric's voids didn't make sense to me. It felt like their voids were almost the same size, as if they were only a couple of hundred years apart but Eric's was without a doubt bigger than Godric's and especially the heaviest! How could that be though if Godric was older than Eric?

If the blackness and heaviness that was a vampire's brain were a physical thing Eric's would take up the universe and the queen's and Godric's would only take up a planet. Something wasn't right and I was planning on getting to the bottom of it.

"Get up my children. How many times have I told you not to kneel to me," he said, sounding amused. Something passed between him and Eric as he said that but I didn't know what it was since Eric had his back to me. I could feel amusement and mirth coming through the bond though. Odd!

When they both got up from the floor a heartfelt welcoming followed and I felt like an intruder. I tried to make myself invisible in the corner of the couch but Hadley had no such ideas. She only huffed impatiently, trying to get their attention. I glared at her but she ignored me.

A few minutes later the young looking vampire turned to look at me and I stood up to curtsy awkwardly to him, "Mr. Godric?" I asked, sounding uncertain although I was almost positive that's who he was.

He smiled at me and nodded as he stopped in front of me, "It's just Godric since I don't generally use a last name. You must be Sookie Stackhouse, the soon to be famed telepath."

My surprise at his words quickly turned to anger and I glared at Eric but he cut off my tantrum before I could get up a full head of steam, "Sookie, please meet my Maker, and the queen's proxy Maker, Godric. I keep nothing from him and we speak at least weekly."

Okay, Godric being her proxy maker might explain why their brains were of a different size but not why Eric's felt so much bigger than Godric's and it wouldn't explain the energy surges I kept getting from him either. Come to think of it; isn't Eric supposed to be about 1000 years old?

Eric must have been something other before he was turned, but what? I couldn't fathom what he might have been with my little bit of knowledge of him but if Godric was twice his age something wasn't right here. I didn't know how old the queen was but I decided to ask those questions later since it wasn't really the time for it.

I curtsied again, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"If what my child tells me is true it will be a pleasure getting to know you as well, Ms. Stackhouse."

Damn humanity! I blushed like a schoolgirl at the compliment! "Thank you Godric and please, call me Sookie," I said quietly as I gave Eric a fierce stare again; I didn't know he had mentioned me to anyone other than the queen and Pam so I was a little put out.

Cookie huffed at that, '_Oh, come on, Sookie! You are a Supe now so it's not like they aren't going to find out eventually. Isn't it better to find out who your friends are sooner rather than later? Your southern mannerisms won't do you any good here!'_

I sighed to myself because I knew she was right again. Even though I was just starting to understand that the way Gran brought me up wasn't necessarily the right thing for me I still sometimes caught myself falling back on the familiar.

Hadley had been sitting in a chair by herself pouting ever since the queen had told her to hush. She was still in that chair but now she was pouting because she was being ignored; she didn't like it one bit!

_Oh no_, I groaned quietly. I had been greeted even before her…

_'__As it should be in the Supernatural world,' Cookie interrupted me. 'In a room where there is more than one species it is always the highest ranking, with humans being last on the list.'_

_'__So it should have been the queen, Godric, Eric, me then Hadley,' I asked her; she just nodded her head._

I didn't think Hadley understood the order even though she'd been with the queen for a few years. The fact that I'd been introduced before her seemed to be the last straw for her selfishness. In the chaos of her murderous thoughts I found that the queen had taught her about etiquette in the supernatural world but Hadley didn't care at that moment. She only saw that I was greeted with the utmost respect; it was like waving a red rag in front of an angry bull, "What about me," she whined angrily and sprang up from her seat. She rushed at us and shoved me out of the way so she could get her introduction in. Too stunned at her audacity, I stumbled sideways a few steps and she took my place in front of Godric.

Then she dropped to her hands and knees and rubbed her head against his leg much as a cat does when it wants attention!

My eyes went wide as saucers at what I saw and my mouth dropped open in surprise. What the hell was she doing?

Godric looked down at her and frowned as he took a step back, Hadley following him like she was glued to his leg. "What is the meaning of this, Sophie? Is this the one," he asked, sounding slightly disgusted.

The queen sighed and looked like she couldn't decide whether or not to drag Hadley away from him to protect her girlfriend from her maker's wrath or let her dig her own grave. Respect for her maker must have won out because she stayed put and said instead, "Unfortunately yes. She has shown me a side of herself tonight that I'm not happy with." She sounded tired, like she'd found Hadley's behaviour disappointing.

Hadley turned her head to the queen and it sounded like she actually growled at her but she still managed to keep pace with Godric as he paced around the room. It looked like he wanted to escape her and test her at the same time.

I didn't know what to make of what was going on. What the hell had gotten into her? Why all of a sudden was she acting like a fucking cat looking for attention? If I didn't know better I would have said that Eric had glamoured her for his own amusement but I knew he hadn't. That was all her own doing.

Of course Cookie had something to say about it only it wasn't what I expected, '_Typical Fairy,'_ is what she said. When I asked her what she meant, she acted like I didn't even exist and ignored me completely.

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